Class B: South Sioux City knocks off Alliance

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By the Lincoln Journal Star

Saturday's Class B tournament results:

Championship: South Sioux City 53, Alliance 48

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South Sioux City's Nicole Hanish draws a foul during the Cardinals' state championship win Saturday. (Gwyneth Roberts)

McKayla Knudson had a strong feeling of vindication at the free-throw line.

Knudson made 3 of 4 free throws in the final minute to help South Sioux City hold on for a 53-48 victory against Alliance in the Class B girls state basketball championship game Saturday at the Devaney Sports Center.

“I was thinking how I’d made stupid turnovers all game long and I didn’t want to let my teammates down,” said the 6-foot-1 junior.

After trailing by 15 points midway through the third quarter, Alliance started carving into the lead. Krista McDonald sandwiched a pair of three-pointers around a drive to the basket by Jordan Hooper. Knudson put South Sioux City back on top 48-44, but Hooper pulled up for a 6-footer on the baseline and then blocked a shot. Jasmine Clark hit a baseline jumper to tie the game at 48-48 with 49 seconds left.

“When they got the tie, it was like it was back to zero-zero, beginning the game,” Knudson said. “We just knew we had to get back to another good start.”

Knudson hit the first of two free throws, giving Alliance a chance to take the lead. A loose ball ended as a tie-up and the Bulldogs retained possession with 22 seconds left. But two seconds later, the ball squirted away and South Sioux City got the ball and called time out.

Knudson then hit two free throws and, after Alliance missed a three-pointer, Kodi Fischer made two more free throws with three seconds left to seal the win.

“With all the close games we had this year — Heelan, Southeast, Bellevue East, Gretna — you know you have to have luck with that,” Flynn said. “I kept thinking that just the law of averages and percentages, you’re going to lose one of those once in awhile. I was thinking, ‘I don’t want it to be this one but I know there’s no more left this year.’ To have won those close games gave us the confidence we needed down here at state.”

Alliance suffered through an 0-for-19 shooting performance during a first-round win against Beatrice, then went scoreless in the second quarter of the semifinal win against Lincoln Pius X.

“We watched them play a couple of nights ago, so we knew if they were down, they were capable of coming back,” Knudson said. “They come out the second half with a lot of fire. We just had to come out with more fire and more heart.”

South Sioux City’s pressure contributed to 16 Alliance first-half turnovers and helped the Cardinals build a 32-19 lead.

“That’s the first time we’d seen anything like that this year,” Alliance coach Nate Lanik said. “They’re athletic, they’re tall, they’re long and they know the game of basketball.

“After halftime, we changed the pace of the game, getting the ball down the court before they could set up their press. If we had done that a little sooner, I think we would have been a little more successful.”

--Ryly Jane Hambleton

Third place: Lincoln Pius X 66, Elkhorn 54

They have a ton of trophies in the case at Lincoln Pius X High School.

Among them are two state championship and five runner-up trophies for girls basketball.

You can add a rare one to the lot — a third-place state tournament trophy. The Class B fourth-ranked Thunderbolts took that with a 66-54 victory against Elkhorn on Saturday at Pershing Center.

It took Pius X a little while to get going, and the Thunderbolts still trailed by seven points midway through the third period.

They led 42-40 going into the fourth quarter. Elkhorn was within four points with two minutes to play, but never got closer. The difference was Pius X (18-4) making 14 of 18 free throws in the final period.

“I thought we played one of our best games of the year, really,” Pius X coach Bill Rice said. “It wasn’t our best game, but I thought we played pretty well, especially with the attitude of the team being real disappointed.”

The Thunderbolts’ scoring balance was still the story in the last game of the season. Alex Grant scored 14 points, Lindsay Determan 11 and Mollie Lacy 10.

“I don’t know that any player really stood out,” Rice said. “The rebounding helped.”

Elkhorn (21-4) was led by Tara Roach with 16 points  and Ashley Hagemann with 14.

— Brent C. Wagner