Ann Simonet wasn't hitting her shots in the first half. But, like all good shooters, she didn't hang her head. And when the time came, Park Center's 5-5 sophomore guard didn't hesitate, letting fly with a pair of long three-pointers that turned out to be deadly.
Park Center defeats Marshall, repeats as 3A champion
Marshall was turned back again as the Pirates found the hot hand needed to win.
Simonet's bombs, both in the final minutes of the second half, stemmed Marshall rallies and lifted Park Center to its second consecutive Class 3A championship with a 52-45 victory.
"I told her that shooters shoot," said Park Center coach Chris Vanderhyde. "We have confidence in her, Those ended up being the biggest shots of the game."
Saturday's game was a rematch of the 2014 final, which Park Center won in triple overtime. It didn't take quite that long Saturday, but the game was almost as entertaining.
Marshall, the tournament's No. 4 seed, found out early that the things that had worked so well in its first two games were going to be difficult to accomplish against a team as quick to the ball at Park Center. Marshall had an uncharacteristic 11 turnovers in the first 18 minutes and finished with 21 for the game.
"We knew their defense was going to give us trouble," Marshall coach Dan Westby said. "Eleven turnovers in the first half was just too many."
With sophomore center Mikayla Hayes maneuvering inside and senior guard Hannah Schaub finding room outside, the Pirates built a first-half lead that ballooned to eight points, 23-15.
Marshall closed the gap to four, 27-23, at halftime, thanks to the calming influence of junior forward Marah Mulso, one of the few Tigers not flustered by Park Center's swarming defense. Mulso had nine points and four rebounds at the break.
The second half began as a pingpong match of momentum changes. Marshall scored the first six points. Park Center responded with a 6-2 run. Marshall's Callie Graff countered with a three-point play. Park Center took the lead for good with six in a row, but Marshall was never out of reach.
Marshall was also on the wrong end of a pair of illegal-screen calls that ended important possessions and frustrated Westby.
"To be honest, I'm angry," he said. "That's not to take anything away from Park Center. That's a great, well-coached team. But a great game should be decided by the players."
The Tigers got to within a single possession twice, 41-39 and 46-43, but Simonet broke their hearts with daggers each time. "When I hit the first one, you could just feel the adrenaline rise," Simonet said.
Park Center was led by Hayes, who scored 13 points. The Pirates got 11 each from Schaub, a senior who missed the 2014 tournament because of a knee injury, and Feyisayo Ayobamidele. After a scoreless first half, Simonet finished with nine very big points and a team-high seven rebounds.
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