Mandan slammed the door on Bismarck Century with all the authority of a starving, pneumonia-stricken mouse.
Clinging to a two-point lead, the Braves missed the front end of three one-and-one free throw situations in the final minute.
Yet, the Braves found a way to escape.
"Thank God we can play defense," Mandan coach Greg Amundson said.
They can take that saving grace into tonight's North Dakota Class A girls basketball title game against Fargo North. The Braves earned the date with a 41-39 victory over Century Friday in the semifinals at the Fargodome.
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It wasn't necessarily pretty. Besides their free-throw shooting woes down the stretch, the Braves shot 32 percent from the floor and were out-rebounded by the Patriots 46-25.
But Century had problems of its own. The Patriots made four turnovers in the game's final 90 seconds, shot 35 percent from the floor and made just seven of 17 free-throw tries.
"If you like to watch defensive basketball, that was a defensive battle," Century coach Jim Jeske said. "It was just a game between two pretty good defensive teams."
It was a battle that favored Century in the first half. Behind 10 points from post Stephanie Peterson, the Patriots took a 25-17 lead at halftime after the Braves were limited to four points in the second quarter.
But Century scored just five points in the third quarter and Kristin Bear's short jumper at the buzzer gave Mandan a 32-30 lead heading into the final eight minutes.
"We contested every shot in the second half, we got a hand up and made it difficult for them," Amundson said. "I think after awhile they quit looking to score, and that's when we knew we had them."
Jeske agreed that his team lost its aggressiveness in the second half.
"I think the kids thought we were comfortable with an eight-point lead, like the final 16 minutes were going to evaporate," he said. "Mandan was the aggressor on offense and defense in the second half."
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Still, Century led 39-37 after Peterson's offensive rebound and basket with 2:16 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Mandan tied it on a bucket by Rebecca Kiepinski moments later. The Braves took the lead after a Kiepinski steal led to a basket by Bear with 1:24 remaining.
Those points, the last of the game, gave Mandan a 41-39 advantage.
What followed was a flurry of missed free throws and turnovers. It ended, fittingly, when Kiepinski missed the front end of a one-and-one with 3.9 seconds left and the ball was rebounded by Peterson, who threw an outlet pass that glanced off an unknowing teammate and into the hands of a Mandan player just before the buzzer sounded.
"I'm going to be completely gray by the time this is done," the salt-and-pepper haired Amundson said.
But his team is playing for the championship, which at this time of the year is all that matters.
Bismarck Century 15 25 30 39
Mandan 13 17 32 41
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CENTURY: Dockter 3 0-0 8, Ledger 3 5-12 11, Clooten 1 0-0 2, Henitz 1 0-1 2, Olson 0 0-0 0, Froelich 0 0-0 0, Pusc 0 0-0 0, Peterson 7 2-4 16. Totals: 15 7-17 39.
MANDAN: Zerr 2 0-1 4, Jochim 0 1-2 1, Belohlavek 2 0-0 5, Bear 3 0-0 7, Taylor 0 0-0 0, Kranda 0 0-1 0, Keller 4 5-6 13, Kiepinski 3 3-5 9, Sehalic 1 0-0 2. Totals: 15 9-16 41.
3-point goals: Dockter 2, Belohlavek, Bear. Total fouls: Century 19, Mandan 16. Fouled out: Dockter. Rebounds: Century 46 (Ledger 13), Mandan 25 (Kiepinski 8). Turnovers: Century 24, Mandan 12.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Mike McFeely at (701) 241-5580
