STATE 3A HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: Not their way again
<p>Timberlake High basketball players, from left, Allison Kirby, Reina Powell, the team’s only senior, Carleen Simpson and Jacquelyn Mallet show their emotions as they are announced the runners-up following the state 3A girls basketball championship game against Sugar-Salem on Saturday at the Idaho Center in Nampa.</p>
<p>Timberlake’s Lilly Kelley gets a hold on the ball, causing a jump ball situation with Sugar-Salem’s Abby Allen in the fourth quarter. Possession went to Timberlake.</p>
<p>Timberlake guard Payten Rhodes passes the ball around Sugar-Salem’s Jessie Harris in the fourth quarter of the 2015 state 3A girls basketball championship game Saturday at the Idaho Center in Nampa.</p>
NAMPA - "It happens."
"God has a plan for everyone and it didn't go our way today."
Close - but not quite - again.
In its fourth appearance in the state title game in the last five years, and bidding for its first state title game, the Timberlake High girls basketball team settled for second again.
Abby Allen scored 15 points, 11 in the first half, leading the second-ranked Sugar-Salem Diggers past the top-ranked Timberlake Tigers 40-33 in the state 3A championship game on Saturday at the Ford Idaho Center.
Sugar-Salem limited Timberlake to 11-for-58 shooting in the game, holding off a late rally to secure its fifth state title in program history.
"I thought besides making shots, we played extremely well," Timberlake coach Matt Miller said. "We forced 27 turnovers and we got a lot of good looks at the hoop. I thought we executed well on the defensive side, and the offensive side, with the exception of finishing. But we shot 19 percent, and you can't win a state championship like that."
see TIMBERLAKE, B6
Sophomore guard Allison Kirby had a game-high 21 points and five steals for Timberlake (21-4), which advanced to the title game for the fourth time in as many appearances (2011, '12, '14, '15).
"It happens," Kirby said. "God has a plan for everyone and it didn't go our way."
Sugar-Salem also won the 2011 championship with a 48-44 win over Timberlake, the Tigers' first appearance in the title game.
Kirby scored 11 in the third-quarter rally.
"I just wanted to win," Kirby said. "There was just something that came over me and getting that drive to try and lead us to a win."
In a season of injuries, the toughest came midway through the third quarter, when sophomore Keelie Lawler was sidelined after being elbowed in the right eye. She did not return, as the trainer at the Idaho Center believed she had suffered a concussion on the play.
"Allison had a fantastic game," Miller said. "When we lost Keelie, Allison knew she had to step it up and she did. She kept us in it. Despite shooting 19 percent, it's still a two-possession game with two minutes left, and we just didn't get it done. Sugar's a great team, and they did a great job on the defense end. They played and shot the ball really well in the first half and had a great shooting night. I'm not disappointed in how we played at all."
Sugar-Salem went 7 of 14 in the first half, building a 23-13 halftime lead, only to see it disappear in the third quarter as the Tigers rallied to tie it at 27-27.
Timberlake pulled to within 33-31 on a jumper by Payten Rhodes with 4 minutes left, but could not get any closer as Sugar-Salem closed with a 7-2 run over the final minutes.
"Sugar's a good team and they went out and played how they needed to," Rhodes said. "We shot the ball poorly and you can't win state championships shooting 19 percent. Losing is tough. It sucks, but it happens. But to finish second isn't too bad either."
Sophomore Jacquelyn Mallet scored three of Timberlake's first five points in the first quarter.
"It's hard to take second again, especially after last year," Mallet said. "But we did our job on the court, but they just shot the ball really well, especially in the first half. We played good defense and that's all we really could do."
Timberlake graduates one player - Reina Powell - from this year's roster.
"We'll see how hard the kids work in the offseason," Miller said. "It's a fun group to be coaching and we should be good again next year. If they're working hard in the offseason, we should be really strong if we can stay healthy."
Sugar-Salem outrebounded Timberlake 38-32.
"It was a battle," third-year Sugar-Salem coach Crystal Dayley said. "Defense has been our strength all season and won us a lot of basketball games. Timberlake's a great team, play very fast-paced, and our goal was to slow it down and control the game. We held a phenomenal team to 33 points. Our defense definitely won us a championship."
Kirby scored four points in the final quarter, with Rhodes scoring the other two for Timberlake.
"She's definitely one of the best players in the state," Dayley said of Kirby. "She had a great third quarter. She's great and we left her open a few times. We knew it was going to be a tough basketball game."
Sugar-Salem 13 10 4 13 - 40
Timberlake 8 5 14 6 - 33
SUGAR-SALEM - Allen 15, Rudd 0, Crane 0, Rose 9, Roberts 6, Gehmlich 0, Larson 0, Bean 2, Harris 5, Stoddard 3. Totals 13-31 9-13 40.
TIMBERLAKE - Powell 0, Kelley 0, Rhodes 5, Mallet 5, Starr 0, Jezek 0, Kirby 21, Gardom 0, Simpson 0, Lawler 2. Totals 11-58 8-11 33.