DES MOINES, Iowa — Their coach already has a state championship and now the Waukee Northwest players are getting a chance to win one of their own.
Northwest made the clutch shots it needed in overtime and beat West Des Moines Dowling Catholic 56-50 to reach the Class 5A championship game for the first time.
The Wolves (19-5), who are in the tournament for just the second time, will meet two-defending champion Johnston for the title at 6 o’clock Friday night. Johnston (26-0), winner of 78 straight games, advanced with a 49-39 victory over Ankeny.
They met twice in the regular season and Johnston won both, 47-41 and 60-54.
Northwest opened in 2021 when the Waukee system split into two schools and the Wolves have made great strides the last three years under coach Sam Powell, who guided Des Moines East to a state title in 2011.
This latest is the biggest step so far, Northwest prevailing in a tight game that had 12 ties and eight lead changes,
The Wolves rallied from six down in the third quarter to build a 44-40 lead with less than 2 minutes remaining. But Dowling freshman Adrienne Sears drove for a hoop and Ellie Muller scored off a nice spin on the low block to tie it with 20 seconds left and force overtime.
After a final tie at 46, Northwest pulled away. Vana Bilic sank two free throws, Sadie McCann drove the baseline for a basket and Romey Croatt took the ball down the lane and banked in a layup from the right side for a 52-47 lead with 28 seconds left.
Katie Miller buried a deep 3-ball to draw the Maroons to 52-50 with 13 seconds to play, but they had to foul and Croatt dropped in two free throws, then stole the ball and made two more to finish it off.
Croatt led the Wolves with 12 points, Bilic added 11 and McCann and Victoria Burpo each had nine. Ellie Muller led Dowling (21-4) with 17 points, while Katie Muller and Sears added 15 each,
The Maroons, who lost to Johnston in the last two title games, missed some opportunities at the free throw line, going 1-for-6 after halftime and 3-of-9 for the game. Dowling shot an efficient 48 percent from the field and outrebounded the Wolves 30-27, with Ellie Muller pulling down 12.
Northwest, on the other hand, made all six of its free throws in the overtime and all but one of its four shots from the field to seal the deal.
