DES MOINES, Iowa – Melina Snoozy by herself makes Sioux City Bishop Heelan a formidable team. Throw in players like Ella Otten and Trishelle Miller and the Crusaders are, so far at least, unbeatable.
Snoozy scored 39 points and the top-seeded Crusaders stormed into the Class 4A semifinals with an 81-56 romp past North Polk to remain unbeaten. Bishop Heelan (24-0) already has claimed three state championships and will try to take another step toward a fourth at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday.
A 6-foot junior, Snoozy is one of the state’s top prospects in her class and she showed why against eighth-seeded North Polk. Scoring in about every way imaginable, she made 17 of 26 shots, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range. And one of the few times she missed a shot, she got the rebound and scored on the putback.
Snoozy filled out her line with 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals. Otten added 17 points and five assists, while Miller had 15 points and 13 assists. Colby Carroll chipped in with six points, five rebounds and five steals for the Crusaders, now 20-12 in state tournament play.
Snoozy already has scored 1,500 points in her career, while Otten and Miller both topped 1,000 this season. That trio led the Crusaders to the first unbeaten regular season in program history. Only one team from Iowa – Class 5A tournament qualifier West Des Moines Valley – has come closer than 18 points. Her 39 points eclipses the Class 4A single game scoring record of 37, set last year by Cedar Rapids Xavier’s Libby Fandel against Heelan last year.
Bishop Heelan shot 67 percent (20-for-30) over the middle two quarters and finished the game at 55.7 percent, helped by a whopping 52 points in the paint. Many came when Snoozy or someone else beat the Comets down the court for a breakaway layup.
North Polk (20-4) made it back to state after losing four starters from last year’s runner-up team and did so without a senior in its startling lineup. Junior Campbell Schultz led the Comets with 25 points, Fayth Sullivan scored 13 and Sophia Bouchard had 10.
Campbell’s line included five rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Sullivan added seven rebounds, two assists and four steals.
Bishop Heelan trailed for only 24 seconds in the game. Schultz hit a jump shot to start the scoring, but Miller countered with a 3-pointer and the Crusaders led the rest of the way.
They were up 36-26 at halftime, then really turned it on in the third quarter, hitting the Comets with a 20-5 run that stretched the lead to 61-35. Snoozy was everywhere during that burst, making four layups, a mid-range jumper and a 3-pointer.
The lead grew to as many as 29 and Snoozy topped off her big afternoon with a deep 3 that produced the final margin.
