Kendrick Tips Troy, Wins Title

State basketball

In what many believed was the best girls basketball state title game Saturday, Kendrick got the last word and most important win against rival Troy.

Kendrick evened the season series at three wins apiece with a thrilling 54-51 win over Troy in the State A-4 final at the Idaho Center.

Including the championship game, all six games between the Whitepine League rivals were decided by four points or less. Four of the battles were two points or less and three went to overtime.

Both teams finished with 26-3 records.

The game began as if Kendrick was going to finish business early.

Kendrick led 30-13 with 4 minutes left in the second quarter, but Troy tightened the margin slightly at 32-19 by halftime.

Behind Jessica Johnson, who scored 15 of her game-high 26 points in the quarter, Troy rallied to take the lead in the third period. Her 19-foot jumper from the corner with 5 seconds left put Troy ahead 41-39.

It was back and forth in the fourth period.

With her team trailing by four, Johnson hit her fourth and final 3-pointer to cut Kendrick’s lead to 52-51 with 37 seconds left.

Kendrick’s Ferris Dudunake hit two free throws with 4 seconds left to secure the win.

Dudunake and teammate Alyssa Heier scored 18 points as just five players played for Kendrick.

In another title game between conference foes, Prairie knocked off Lapwai 55-48 to capture the State A-3 crown.

Lapwai won the Central Idaho League and district titles, and Prairie had to earn a state berth in a cross-district playoff.

Prairie (23-6) was led by Amy Funke, who scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Freshman Jaci McCormack led Lapwai (21-5) with a game-high 31 points and 10 rebounds. She also had five steals and three assists.

Buhl, which survived a one-point thriller at the wire against Bonners Ferry in an opening-round game, knocked off previously undefeated Middleton 66-57 in the State A-2 showdown.

Buhl (20-5) lost two regular-season games to Middleton (25-1), the last a one-point decision in early January.

Jennifer Bartosovsky and Jana Watson led Buhl with 16 points each. Sarah-Jane Miller scored 17 points for Middleton.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: STATE SCORES A-1 girls Consolation: Highland 39, Madison 36 Third: Centennial 54, Nampa 53 Final: Borah 55, Lake City 43 A-2 girls Consolation: Bishop Kelly 44, Moscow 42 Third: Am. Falls 51, Preston 48 Final: Buhl 66, Middleton 57 A-3 girls Consolation: Butte County 48, Teton 44 Third: West Side 49, Homedale 42 Final: Prairie 55, Lapwai 48 A-4 girls Consolation: Raft River 53, Garden Valley 40 Fifth: Nampa Christian 50, Murtaugh 40 Third: Dietrich 53, Hagerman 36 Final: Kendrick 54, Troy 51