Free throw shooting and a big fourth quarter preserved West Des Moines Valley's state championship hopes.

Grace Vander Weide scored 11 of her 18 points in the final period as the top-ranked Tigers moved into the Class 5A state championship game with a 57-41 victory over No. 5 Iowa City West.

   Valley struggled shooting the ball most of the day but racked up a big edge in free throws. The Tigers went 28 of 39 at the line while West was 7-for-14.

   Whitney Fuller added 12 points for Valley (23-2) and Hannah Fuller scored eight. Whitney Fuller finished 10-for-14 at the line. Vander Weide, who'll play at Missouri State next seasons, was 7-for-8 and pulled down nine rebounds.

   Turnovers thwarted West early, though the Women of Troy still managed a 20-17 halftime lead. Valley went ahead to stay at 24-22 on Vander Weide's jumper at the 5:08 mark in the third quarter.

Dani Craig, a Cal State-Fullerton recruit, led West (22-3) with 15 points. Grace Tafolla added nine points, Mikaela Morgan scored seven and Ali Taucher grabbed 11 rebounds to go with four points.

  Valley finally pulled away with a run of 10 straight points midway through the fourth quarter, stretching a 38-35 lead to 48-35. Hannah Fuller hit a long 3-pointer to help key that burst and Vander Weide finished it with a runner from the right side and four free throws.

   Valley will play for the title at 8 p.m. Saturday. It will be the third appearance in the finals for the Tigers, who lost to Cedar Rapids Washington in 1995 and fell to South Hamilton, this year's 50-year Honor Team, in the 1965 six-player championship game.

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