DES MOINES, Iowa — Big shots led to a big moment for Maquoketa.
The Cardinals stormed all the way back from a 12-point deficit in the second half to beat Des Moines Christian 61-54 and punch their ticket to a state championship game for the first time.
Maquoketa will try to write a happy ending to the longest postseason journey in school history when it plays defending champion Mount Vernon for the Class 3A title at 8 o'clock Friday night.
Mount Vernon (24-2) advanced with a 53-49 victory over Dubuque Wahlert Catholic, extending its winning streak to 22 games.
Maquoketa has a much more modest five-game streak, but it has come the right time. The Cardinals won their latest with gritty play on defense and by getting to the free throw line from taking the ball aggressively to the basket.
Behind most of the game, the Cardinals trailed 43-31 late in the third quarter before mounting their comeback. A 9-2 run sliced the deficit to 45-40 entering the fourth quarter and they eventually pulled into a tie at 48 when Aubrey Kroymann scored on a slick post move in the lane with 4:25 left.
Des Moines Christian regained the lead on a pair of free throws, but the Cardinals came right back with the biggest shots of the game. Hadley Ihrig knocked down a 3-pointer, Kroymann got another bucket inside and Isabel Hopson buried a trey for a 56-50 lead with 1:48 left.
That was the last basket but it didn’t matter because the Cardinals sank five of eight free throws to wrap it up. They finished 24-for-35 at the line and held the Lions without a field goal for the final 6 minutes.
Cora Widel was the most frequent visitor to the line, making 13 of 17 to finish with 18 points. Maelyn Kluever added 12 points for the Cardinals, Ihrig had nine to go with 10 rebounds and Kroymann scored eight points, filling out her line with five rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks.
Reese DeVooght led Des Moines Christian (23-4) with 17 points, while Addy Oetker added 13 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks in her final game with Lions, who were seeking their first appearance in a championship game.
