LINCOLN, Neb.—Keriann Shaw scored 18 points to lead three Sandy Creek players in double figures, and the Cougars recaptured their glory of a decade ago with a 49-44 victory over Hartington Cedar Catholic in the Class C2 girls state basketball championship game Saturday night.
Sandy Creek (23-3), which won six straight titles from 1996-2001, earned the school’s ninth title since 1991. The Cougars lost in subdistricts but made the tournament for the first time since 2003 as a wildcard.
“It’s just fun to get back to state and if you get the opportunity to get lucky enough to get in the final, so be it,” Sandy Creek coach Russ Ninemire said. “These kids really deserved this. They had a great year with 20 wins and we made a mistake in subdistricts. But we showed our character and bounced back.”
Down 20-18 at halftime, the Cougars took the lead for good at the start of the third quarter on Shaw’s three-point play.
Mikaela Shaw and Ashlee Harms scored 12 points apiece for the Cougars.
Jillian Feilmeier had 15 points and Dana Dickes 11 for the Lady Trojans (21-5).
The Cougars fell behind by six points in the first quarter before they found rhythm at both ends of the court. Sandy Creek’s press forced 21 turnovers, which help offset the 21 it committed.
“Our defense started to play a little bit,” Ninemire siad. “We just kept chipping away.”
Cedar Catholic was within three points in the last minute of the game but could get no closer. Mikaela Shaw blocked Feilmeier’s shot under the basket, and Dana Dickes missed from in close.
The Cougars lose only four seniors. Among their starters were a freshman and two sophomores.
Ninemire might have thought his team’s title run would come next year.
“I’ve got a very young team, and very promising,” he said, “but we’ll take it now.”
