Freeman girls get shot at third straight title

YAKIMA – Freeman’s Molly McIntyre came up big when it mattered most Friday night, scoring seven straight points in a late burst that propelled her team past Lynden Christian 37-36, and into the girls State 1A championship game.

Two-time defending champion Freeman (27-1) will play Okanogan at 9 tonight. A win would allow Freeman to join Lynden Christian and Cle Elum as 1A programs to win three straight titles. Colfax is the only girls program to have won four straight titles.

McIntyre scored nine points, all in the second half, and got help in the form of steady senior leadership and 11 points from point guard Alyssa Maine to get the Scotties past the Lyncs, the most pedigreed program in the 1A girls ranks.

McIntyre, seemed rattled by 6-foot-2 Lyncs post Jasmine Hommes in the first half, but she suddenly found her shot and her confidence late in the third period.

The slender junior scored seven consecutive points in just more than a minute spanning the end of the third period and start of the fourth. A five-point deficit turned into a two-point lead.

“It’s amazing how a couple of baskets can really boost your confidence,” Freeman coach Ashlee Nimri said.

Nimri noted that McIntyre had help.

“It really was a team effort,” Nimri said.

The Scotties shot just 24 percent in the first half and were outrebounded 23-9. Even with that, and despite getting torched by Hommes for 11 points, they trailed just 21-18 at the break.

The poor shooting kept the Scotties from trying to deploy more full-court pressure after made baskets. Still, Freeman forced 10 first half turnovers.

In the second half the Scotties held Hommes to two points and were outrebounded 13-12. Their pressure defense began to cause LC problems.

“I told them at halftime we didn’t need to do anything fancy,” Nimri said. “We started making a few shots and things happened.”