Freshman Kenisha Bell followed her own miss in the closing seconds to give Bloomington Kennedy a 51-49 victory over defending Class AAA state champion Benilde-St. Margaret's in the Breakdown Sports Tip Off Classic at Hopkins. 

With the score tied at 49-all, the Eagles held the ball for a final shot.  Bell worked her way in from the right wing, missed a 10-foot runner, but gathered in the rebound and laid it in as the buzzer sounded. 

"It feels good," said Bell, who also led the Eagles with 18 points.  "I had to look at the clock first.  When I saw it, I put it up and then followed it up."

Coach Percy Wade has a very young team that plays three freshmen regularly, Bell, Tonoia Wade and Isy Odor, who has been starting at center while Heather Bachman works her way back onto the roster.

"My young girls were the ones that pulled us out today," said Wade, who commented that they were growing quickly after losing their first two games of the year.  A victory over the defending state champions will do that.

"It will give them some confidence and something to believe in themselves," said Wade.

Tonoia Wade, the coach's daughter, had 15 points for Kennedy, while Jade Martin chipped in with 10.  Benilde was paced by the trio of Olivia Antilla (12 points), Josie Dillon (11) and Khadijah Shumpert (10).  Grace Coughlin added nine points.

Kenisha Bell, Bloomington Kennedy
Bell was already having a player of the game type of effort for Kennedy, then she one-upped herself in the final seconds of the Eagles' 51-49 victory over Benilde-St. Margaret's.  Showing a calm that belied her age, Bell followed up her own miss and laid in the game winner as the buzzer sounded.  She finished with a game-high 18 points.  Bell was part of a trio of freshman to play big roles, including Tonoia Wade (15 points) and Isy Odor.

Score by half: Kennedy 22-29--51, Benilde 22-27--49

Benilde-St. Margaret's: Antilla 12, Dillon 11, Shumpert 10, Coughlin 9, Kopp 5, Kaminski 2

Bloomington Kennedy: Bell 18, Wade 15, Martin 10, Reiners 6, Is. Odor 2