• Photo Showcase: Friday's state tournament photos

• Video: Highlights from the Wahoo-Norfolk Lutheran



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LINCOLN — Wahoo will play for the school’s first girls basketball title after its 52-49 state tournament semifinal win over Norfolk Lutheran Northeast on Friday at the Devaney Center.

The 21-4 Warriors got off to a great start, opening a 16-point lead in the first half. But the Eagles, who entered the game ranked No. 1 in Class C-1 with a 24-0 record, methodically fought back in the second half.

Wahoo’s lead had dwindled to two points late in the third quarter before Sadie Murren swished a 3-pointer, giving the Warriors a 41-36 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The advantage grew to eight points before Norfolk Lutheran made another late push, closing within 48-47 on two free throws by Mallory Weaver with 50 seconds left.

Murren then sank both ends of a 1-and-1 free-throw situation to put the lead back at three points, and a late fast-break layup by Morgan Hancock allowed the Warriors to advance to Saturday’s 11:30 a.m. final.

“Our girls have been playing basketball for a long time and have been in a lot of pressure situations,’’ Wahoo coach Linda Walker said. “I think that helped us today.’’

Walker said the Warriors’ defensive pressure in the first half allowed them to open a double-digit lead.

“We were working on all cylinders,’’ she said. “Things were really going our way, but I felt like we lost some of our momentum later on.’’

Sadie Murren’s sister, Mattie, made four baskets in the opening period — including two 3-pointers — and Sadie had six points. The sisters accounted for 28 of the Warriors’ 52 points as Sadie finished with 18 and Mattie had 10.

Wahoo needed every point of its big lead as the Eagles stormed back in the second half. But Norfolk Lutheran never led, and the Warriors were able to hang on.

“Playing at the Devaney for the first time affected us at the start,’’ Eagles coach Shannon Pospisil said. “Once we settled down, we played our type of basketball.’’

Weaver scored 16 to lead the Eagles, who will play a consolation game at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Wahoo (21-4).......................19 13 9 11—52
Norfolk Lutheran (24-1)...............8 12 16 13—49
• W: Mattie Murren 10, Sadie Murren 18, Erin Walker 6, Kayla Bennett 2, Morgan Hancock 9, Emily Brodahl 5, Katelyn O’Brien 2.
• NL: Mallory Weaver 16, Jennifer Meyer 5, Katrina Hughes 4, Rebecca Wessel 8, Paige Sunderman 2, Liz Gebhardt 5, Kelsey Dinkel 9.

Contact the writer:

444-1350, mike.patterson@owh.com

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