Holy Angels junior Megan Thompson approached the free-throw line with eight seconds remaining in the game and the Stars clinging to a one-point lead over Bloomington Kennedy in the Class 3A, Section 3 finals Thursday night at Bloomington Jefferson High School.
“As soon as (Thompson) got fouled I told her, ‘I believe in you. You got this,' ” said senior Laura Bagwell-Katalinich, who led Holy Angels with 27 points.
Thompson’s internal dialogue was more straightforward, as the word 'breathe' rang through her head at the line.
She swished the first shot, igniting the Holy Angels student section, and the uproar never ceased as she drained the second to lock up a 53-50 victory over the Eagles.
“Everyone on our team has stepped up at some point this year to get us here, and I guess today was my day to step up and do it for the team,” said Thompson, whose only points on the night were the two free throws.
After the first shot, Bagwell-Katalinich congratulated Thompson and gave her a gesture of confidence that conveyed the message “I told you so.”
The Stars finished 21-of-24 at the free-throw line.
“These girls are still young,” Holy Angels coach Dan Woods said. “They were little babies, but now we’re battle-tested and we’ve learned how to play with each other.”
The Stars have only two seniors on their roster, a group that has never made it beyond a section quarterfinal but is now headed to the state tournament for just the second time in school history.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Bagwell-Katalinich said. “I’ve been bounced from the (section) tournament in the first round the last three years. That’s a lot of motivation for our entire team. It hurts.”
Thompson was also a member of the Holy Angels girls' soccer team that attended state this year, but unlike that squad, which rolled through section play, the basketball team needed a complete effort down to the final seconds.
“I’ve never been to the state basketball tournament and to get to do it with these girls is great,” Thompson said.
The inbound pass that led to the foul on Thompson and her game-clinching free throws followed a traveling call on South Dakota commit Lashayla Wright-Ponder, taking the ball away from the Eagles on what looked to be the final and deciding possession of the game.
Woods was never settled until Thompson sank the free throws, spurring the Stars to the Target Center next week.
Bagwell-Katalinich admits that her verbal commitment to Penn pales in comparison to winning the section championship.
“This is one of the best moments of my life and my career,” she said. “Obviously committing to a great program and knowing I have four more years is an amazing feeling, but I’m not quite ready to let go of high school basketball yet.”
Tyrah Spencer (3) scored 13 points for Bloomington Kennedy. Photo by Cheryl Myers
First Report
Senior Laura Bagwell-Katalinich’s 27-point performance spurred Holy Angels to a 53-50 victory over Bloomington Kennedy on Thursday night in the Class 3A, Section 3 finals, but it was two crucial free throws from junior Megan Thompson that clinched the Stars' first state tournament berth since 2005.
Holy Angels (22-5) trailed by four at halftime at Bloomington Jefferson High School, but were fueled by Bagwell-Katalinich, a Penn commit who scored nine of the Stars' opening 13 points of the second half.
The Eagles (17-12) used a 9-4 run in the closing seven minutes of play to knot the score at 47-47, coming back from what was a seven-point deficit.
Holy Angels closed the game sinking 6-of-8 free throws, capped by Thompson’s two makes - her only points of the night - with eight seconds remaining.
South Dakota commit and senior Lashayla Wright-Ponder led Kennedy with 18 points while senior Tyrah Spencer chipped in 13.
