GREELEY — Jerrica Mallard is McClave’s go-to player. When the team needs a basket, it turns to the 5-foot-3 senior.
Saturday night, all McClave needed was for Mallard to catch the ball and run out the clock. She did that to cap a 39-38 victory over Kim for McClave’s fourth state title since 2004.
But just barely.
Mallard’s bank shot with 1:07 left — the 13th lead change of the second half — lifted top-seeded McClave to its Class 1A state championship at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion.
Kim had one last chance to win it, but Haley Sheldon’s jumper in the lane missed, and McClave’s Shelby Coen came down with the rebound. Kim quickly fouled, but the Mustangs hadn’t reached the seven-foul bonus; they still had four fouls to give. Two inbound plays later, Kim still had fouls to give as Mallard, who scored a game-high 21 points, joyously celebrating a state title.
“It feels good. It feels good,” Mallard said.
The fact the game came down to the last possession isn’t a surprise. That is the McClave-Kim rivalry.
“That’s the way it’s always been between us. We’ve played them three times in the last two years,” McClave coach Dick Peecher said, whose team finishes 25-1. “We’ve been fortunate to win all three. One of them was in overtime, one of them in triple overtime and then we have the one-point championship game.”
Third-seeded Kim (24-2) — whose other loss was 45-42 in overtime to McClave — led almost the entire first half, with exception of two ties. McClave didn’t take its first lead until Mallard hit a jumper two minutes into the third quarter. Neither team led by more than three points after that.
“We had a chance right there at the end, got a shot up and the ball didn’t drop. That’s all you can ask,” Kim coach Curt Lewis said.
Instead, it’s McClave that is rejoicing, especially in light of an upset loss to Briggsdale in the 2008 semifinals that left a bitter taste.
“Last year, that was like the worst feeling ever,” Coen said. “We wanted it so badly just like we did this year. We didn’t pull it off last year. It was an upset. Third place is good to a lot of people, but to us it wasn’t enough.”
Kim 11 7 7 13 — 38
McClave 11 4 10 14 — 39
Kim —C.Ambler 3 0-1 6, Feemster 0 0-0 0, A.Ambler 0 0-0 0, Sheldon 5 2-5 12, Lewis 2 2-2 6, Butler 0 0-2 0, Goodrich 2 3-4 8, McFerren 3 0-0 6. Totals 15 7-14 38.
McClave — Melgoza 0 0-0 0, Dickerson 0 0-0 0, Kuhns 3 0-0 8, Mallard 8 5-6 21, Myers 0 0-0 0, Coen 2 2-2 6, Stuart 1 0-0 2, Cline 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 7-8 39.
3-pointers — Goodrich; Kuhns 2. Total fouls — Kim 8; McClave 13. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.
1A girls all-tournament team
Jerrica Mallard, McClave, Sr.
Haley Sheldon, Kim, Jr.
Tae’lor Purdy, Deer Trail, Sr.
Morgan Fox, Stratton, Sr.
Janelle Cass, Pawnee, Sr.
MVP: Jerrica Mallard, McClave
