2A GIRLS: Florence, Smerek power Lynx to 2A championship

With Lincoln County trailing Needles (Calif.) by 14 points, sophomore Melanie Florence’s strong inside play got the Lynx back in the game Saturday at Desert Oasis.

But the winning shot came from the outside, courtesy of junior Marissa Smerek.

Smerek made a 3-pointer with 14 seconds remaining to break a 48-48 tie and lift Lincoln County to a 52-48 victory over the defending state champion Mustangs, winning the Class 2A Southern League tournament and clinching the South’s top seed for next week’s state playoffs.

Lincoln County (25-3) will play North No. 2 seed Incline in a state semifinal at 6:20 p.m. Friday at Sierra Vista. Needles (28-3) faces North No. 1 seed Pershing County at 3 p.m. in the other semifinal. The state final is at 3:20 p.m. Saturday at Orleans Arena.

Smerek, who finished with 12 points, had not attempted a 3-pointer before the game-winner.

“We just needed a shot, so I took it,” she said.

Needles didn’t get a chance to tie the game after that. Kori Gloeckner made a steal for the Lynx, was fouled with three seconds left and made 1 of 2 free throws.

Smerek’s shot capped Lincoln County’s comeback from a deficit that reached 20-6 early in the second quarter after a steal and three-point play by Needles’ Alex Chandler. The Lynx made only one of their first 12 shots.

But Lincoln County began pounding the ball inside to Florence, who scored 11 points during a six-minute, 13-0 run that got the Lynx within 20-19 at halftime. Florence finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

“That was a big momentum swing for them,” Needles coach Manuel Calderon said. “For five or six minutes in that first half, we just mentally broke down and let them back into the game. That was what did us in, primarily.”

Miranda Brackett scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Mustangs. Her back-to-back baskets gave Needles a 48-47 lead with 1:25 remaining.

Gena Chavira added 10 points for the Mustangs. Maicah LeBaron had 12 for Lincoln County.

Florence said she expects the Lynx to face their league rival for the fourth time at state — for the title.

“We hope so,” she said. “We will have to go at them even harder, and we hope to take it to them again.”