Step IV: 'State' dreams shattered

Words can't describe how proud Jaguar Country is of this girls' basketball team!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, our Jaguar crowd was amazing!!

It was a tough ending, about as tough as I've seen in a long time in the playoffs.

After having a one-possession lead for the majority of the game and a 22-15 lead in the first half, the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team was outscored by the state-ranked Browerville Tigers down the stretch in a 52-50 loss.

After falling behind 8-7 with 13:37 to go in the first half, the Jaguars took control and outscored Browerville 14-7 over the next four-and-a-half minutes. With nine minutes to go, Alex Evenson drove in on the baseline and put up a beautiful soft-touch shot on the left block and make it 22-15 Jaguars.

The Tigers scored three straight times in the paint to make it 22-21 with 7:17 to go. The Jaguars went up 26-21, then in a period of less than a minute the Tigers went in front 27-26.

Both teams traded baskets in the final minutes of the first half with the Jaguars taking a 32-31 lead into the locker room.

Browerville started the second half by taking a brief 33-32 lead just 20 seconds in, but the Jaguars got in front 36-34 with Peyton Miller driving the lane with 15:40 left. Ashley Trustheim scored a midrange shot for a 38-35 lead with 14:05 to go, and Katelyn Heinze scored on the right block for a 40-37 lead with 13:05 left.

Scoring for B-B-E became difficult in the last 13 minutes of the game. With 10:48 left, the Tigers pulled ahead 41-40. Going under nine minutes left, the score was still 41-40 Tigers. Browerville's Buchta drained an open three-pointer with 7:25 left to put her team ahead 44-42 shortly after Heinze put the Jaguars up 42-41.

With 5:45 left, Kinlee Swanson stole the ball and drove the length of the court for a layup and a 44-44 tie. From that point on, all the Jaguars could do was tie it up. Ties followed at 46-46 and 48-48 heading into the final two minutes. With 96 seconds left, Browerville scored in the paint for a 50-48 lead.

With 36 seconds left, they went one-of-two on bonus free throws for a 51-48 lead. The Jaguars cut it to 51-50, fell behind 52-50, and in the final eight seconds they drove the lenght of the court only to see a really good look at the basket get a full dose of Browerville defense to thwart the comeback. Some thought Ashley Trustheim was fouled at that moment, but no matter how you cut it, this win was not meant to be.

Let's look to do it again next year and make that next step!!!
The Jaguars finish 21-9 overall with the most wins ever in a girls' basketball season at B-B-E.

At St. Cloud State University, Sauk Centre tore up New London-Spicer in a 56-40 win to win the Section 6AA crown.