Just one minute and 19 seconds into the Class 3A quarterfinal between New Prague and Kasson-Mantorville on Wednesday, trainers helped KoMets senior guard Cori Kennedy off the floor and kept the second-leading scorer in program history from putting weight on her left leg.

Kennedy would not return, bad news for an already decided underdog. No. 3 seed New Prague (24-5) defeated the KoMets by 18 points in late January. Kasson-Mantorville (29-2) rallied, however, for a 62-55 victory at Mariucci Arena.

“It’s hard to have her go down but we all had to pick it up,” junior guard Maddie Worden said. “We knew we had to do it for her.”

Worden made the game’s decisive play. After she missed two free-throws, Worden gathered the offensive rebound, missed the shot, grabbed a second rebound and scored. Kasson-Mantorville extended its lead to 60-55 with 39 seconds left.

“No one was going after it so I thought, ‘Might as well go pick it up,’ ” said Worden, who finished with 10 points.

Sophomore center Kristin Scott led the KoMets with 23 points. Senior guard Taylor Miller added 10 points.

Kennedy, who coach Ryan Haraldson lauded as the KoMets “heart and soul,” watched from a chair behind the team bench.

She encouraged teammates to “keep it up, stay calm,” Worden said.