PUEBLO, Colo.—Sidney Merrill scored 24 points and dominated underneath in the final minutes, helping Akron to a 57-49 victory over Lutheran Parker for the 2A girls state championship Saturday night.
“We look to feed it down low. We work on it all the time,” coach Brian Christensen said as the Rams (25-1) claimed their first girls basketball title. They lost in the 2010 championship.
Merrill, a 6-foot junior, hit 7 of 8 free throws and swished three field goals in the fourth quarter. Her three-point play with 1:16 remaining gave Akron a 53-49 edge.
“If they put the game in my hands, I know with my teammates’ help, I can deliver,” Merrill said. “We work on post moves so much.”
Taylor Sturms scored 14 points to lead Lutheran (19-6).
Evangelical Christian won the third-place game, beating Paonia 64-51, and Rye defeated Del Norte 43-34 for the consolation championship.
