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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Timberlake girls win back-to-back Idaho 3A State basketball titles

By Jordan Rodriguez Special to The Spokesman-Review

NAMPA – On a day when the Timberlake girls didn’t have their best stuff, the Tigers’ leader refused to see her team’s championship repeat dreams derailed.

Shots weren’t falling. Loose balls were bouncing the wrong way. A dangerous opponent smelled blood in the water. But none of that mattered to Allison Kirby. The Timberlake senior put the team on her back in a virtuoso performance, netting 27 points as the Tigers clawed out a 60-57 win over Sugar-Salem at the Ford Idaho Center.

Senior guard Keelie Lawler added 10 points and hit the clinching free throws for Timberlake (23-2), which successfully defended its title while avenging a loss to Sugar-Salem in the 2015 state final.

“Sugar played great – for most of the game, it seemed like it was their night,” Timberlake coach Matt Miller said. “But then, it looked like Allison just said, ‘Nope, this isn’t happening.’ It was her last game, and she didn’t want to go out like that. She was phenomenal.”

Kirby, who also had four steals, scored 16 points in the second half. None were bigger than the go-ahead 3-pointer she sank with 2:02 remaining – a shot that proved to be the winner.

“We definitely had to earn it,” Kirby said. “It was a really intense game. We were kind of playing out of character a lot of the game, but I felt like if we just kept fighting, it would work out in our favor.”

Timberlake continued its trend of hot starts, jumping out to a 13-2 lead in the opening minutes. The Tigers led 18-11 after one quarter, but unlike the first two rounds of the tournament, this game didn’t turn into a rout.

Sugar-Salem (22-5) used its size advantage and aggressive play from point guard Amanda Rudd (21 points) to climb back into the game. A 22-point outburst in the second quarter put the Diggers ahead, but Glori Cheevers’ putback just before halftime tied the score at 33.

After a back-and-forth third quarter, Timberlake found itself in an unfamiliar position, trailing 48-46 as the season’s final quarter began.

“We didn’t want to lose,” Lawler said. “We know what that’s like, and it’s not fun, so we had to go out there and bang.”

Sugar-Salem maintained its slim lead for most of the fourth quarter, but Timberlake caught a break when junior post Savanah Crane (11 points, six rebounds) fouled out with 3:56 remaining.

Kirby’s crucial plays were too numerous to count down the stretch. She had a steal and layup, then forced another turnover in the backcourt. After helping the Tigers claw to within a single point, she drained a 3-pointer from the right wing to give Timberlake a 58-56 lead, its first of the quarter.

“She was so clutch,” Lawler said of Kirby. “I’m so incredibly proud of her.”

Sugar-Salem had a chance to tie it with just less than a minute remaining, but Madi Fillmore hit 1 of 2 free throws. The Diggers were forced to foul Lawler, who calmly sank two free throws with 22 seconds left to make it 60-57.

Ten seconds later, Lawler missed a chance to seal it from the stripe. But after Rudd missed a long 3 for the tie, Lawler secured the rebound, fighting off two Sugar-Salem players as time expired.

Junior guard Shelby Starr scored eight points and senior Jacquelyn Mallet came up big off the bench with eight points and seven rebounds for Timberlake, which overcame an off night (33 percent shooting) by forcing 16 turnovers and making eight 3-pointers.

For a senior class that includes Kirby, Lawler, Mallet and Cheevers, it was a sweet ending to run that saw four championship appearances in four years, capped by back-to-back wins.

“It’s been great,” Lawler said. “We have an amazing team, amazing coaches and an amazing community. We’re just really blessed to have all these wonderful people around us.”