North Linn ended Western Christian's hopes of a fourth consecutive state championship and now has a chance to win a title of its own.

   Nicole Miller scored 30 points and the third-ranked Lynx came from behind in overtime to beat No. 2 Western Christian 73-71 to complete the Class 2A semifinals.

   The victory sends North Linn (25-1) into the championship game for the first time and a date with No. 1 Unity Christian at 8 p.m. Friday.

   Western Christian had been trying to become just the second school to win four straight championships since the tournament came under the IGHSAU in 1926. For a while, it looked as if the Wolfpack would get that chance

   They led 54-45 at the start of the fourth quarter, and while they gave up that lead, Western Christian went up 65-63 in the overtime when Jamie Gesink worked her way into the lane for a basket.

   But North Linn kept turning away the Wolfpack after that and went ahead to stay on Katie Kurt's clutch 3-pointer from the left wing for a 69-66 lead with 1:18 left. The ball hit the rim, bounced up and dropped through. The Lynx then finished it off at the free throw line, with Miller making the final shot with 5.3 seconds remaining.

  Morgan Boer added 17 points for North Linn on 8-for-12 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. Kurt, who averages just 3.7 points, finished with eight -- and perhaps the biggest basket of her career.

Gesink, the all-tournament captain last year, led Western Christian with 28 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. Kenzie Bousema added 12 points and Kaira Moss and Ashtyn Veerbeek each scored seven.

   Both teams had a chance to win it in regulation after North Linn's Maddie Boer sank two free throws for a 63-63 tie with 42 seconds left. Gesink drew a foul along the baseline with 23.6 seconds reamining but missed both free throws. Miller then missed a runner in the lane, sending the game into overtime.

   Miller, who'll play at Drake next season, scored 31 points in a first-round victory over Des Moines Christian and now has 2,185 in her career.

  Ankeny is the only school with four consecutive championships in the IGHSAU era, winning from 2002-2005. Before the Union was formed, Audubon won four in a row from 1921-24.