SALINA  -- This state championship game appearance for Wellington was a long time coming.

So long that an extra four minutes wasn’t going to phase the Crusaders.

Wellington survived McPherson’s double-digit rally in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 unanswered points during overtime on the way to a 65-56 victory in the Class 4A Kansas state semifinals Friday at Tony Pizza Events Center.

With that win, the top-seeded Crusaders (23-1) advance to today’s 4 p.m. title game where they’ll meet four-time defending state champ Bishop Miege, a 61-32 winner in the late semifinal.

It will be the first-ever championship game appearance for the Wellington girls, and the first for the city of Wellington since the boys won a Class AA state title in 1947.

“We’ve had some really good teams in the past and this is our seventh state tournament in 12 years,” said Wellington coach Eric Adams. “To be the first girls basketball team to reach a state championship is special for us and our community.

“We’ll enjoy this moment, get some rest tonight and try to put together a good scouting report. Then let’s go play basketball at 4 p.m. (Saturday).”
 

McPherson, trailing 45-34 with nearly six minutes to play in regulation, got two baskets from Jayla McLeod in the final minute to force overtime. The second came with 18 seconds to play and tied the game at 51-all.

The Bullpups then got two free throws to start the extra period and take their first lead since early in the second half. Wellington answered by scoring on each of its next seven possessions. That stretch included a field goal from Cruz Cornejo to make it 53-all, before the Crusaders made 12 of 14 free throws in the final 1:56 of overtime.

The Wellington defense also forced four turnovers in overtime _ three of those during their 10-0 scoring run. 
 

“The key to victory was us staying in attack mode,” Adams said. “We had to play intense man-to-man defense and couldn’t let McPherson get comfortable.

“Thank goodness we can guard at all five positions.”

Wellington junior Valerie Norwood had 26 points to lead all scorers. Norwood accounted for her team’s first 12 points in the game, was 9 of 13 from the field and made all six of her free throw attempts. Cornejo added 10 points and Dru Zeka had eight coming off the bench.

McPherson’s Karter Alvord had 21 points, with 17 of those coming in the second half and overtime. McLeod finished with 13 points and Jaela Thompson had eight rebounds.
 

BISHOP MIEGE CRUISES PAST FORT SCOTT

Miege eliminated any suspense early in this contest, building a double-digit lead before the end of the opening quarter and never allowing Fort Scott to challenge that lead.

The Stags (21-3) will try to extend their string of four consecutive state titles and are guaranteed to add to their Kansas record when they make their 31st overall championship game appearance. They will take on top-seed Wellington (23-1) in the 4A final at 4 p.m. Saturday. Fort Scott (22-2) meets McPherson in the third-place contest at noon.

“We’ve got a ton of respect for Wellington,” Miege coach Mike Allen said. “They are well coached and have premier players at all positions. We should have our hands full.”

Miege scored the game’s first six points against Fort Scott and never looked back. The lead was 15 points (31-16) at halftime and grew to 25 by the end of the third quarter.

“I thought we did a pretty good job of pressuring the basketball,” Allen said. “We were able to disrupt Fort Scott and not let them get into their game, and that allowed us to get some transition baskets.”
 

Kirston Verhulst had 10 of her team-high 14 points in the first half and also led the Stags with 11 rebounds. Faith McCallop had 11 points and Grace McCallop, who missed Wednesday’s tournament opener with an injury, finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and five steals.

Fort Scott’s Keegan Yarick had 19 points, including all 10 of her team’s points in the third quarter.
 

CLASS 4A GIRLS SEMIFINAL BOXSCORES

WELLINGTON 65, MCPHERSON 56 (OT)

McPherson … 13 … 8 … 13 … 17 … 5 … – … 56

Wellington … 6 … 13 … 22 … 10 … 14 … –  … 65

McPherson (19-5) – McLeod 6-13 1-3 13, Moors 1-7 0-0 3, Thompson 2-10 3-4 7, Alvord 6-13 7-9 21, Eilrich 3-6 2-3 9, Bower 0-2 1-2 1, Doile 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-52 14-21 56.

Wellington (23-1) – Barton 1-5 4-6 6, B. Zeka 2-14 0-0 6, Goodrum 0-2 2-2 2, Cornejo 4-5 1-2 10, Norwood 9-13 6-6 26, Rusk 0-0 0-0 0, Ky. Gregory 2-4 3-6 7, Ki. Gregory 0-0 0-0 0, D. Zeka 2-4 3-4 8. Totals 20-47 19-26 65.

3-point goals – McPherson 4-16 (Moors 1-6, Alvord 2-5, Eilrich 1-3, Bower 0-1, Thompson 0-1); Wellington 6-15 (B. Zeka 2-8, Cornejo 1-1, Norwood 2-3, D. Zeka 1-2, Goodrum 0-1). Rebounds – McPherson 35 (Thompson 8); Wellington 35 (Ky. Gregory 8). Assists – McPherson 14 (Thompson 6); Wellington 5 (Barton 3). Turnovers – McPherson 22, Wellington 16. Total fouls – McPherson 23, Wellington 17. Fouled out – McPherson: Thompson; Wellington: B. Zeka.

BISHOP MIEGE 61, FORT SCOTT 32

Bishop Miege … 17 … 14 … 20 … 10 … – … 61

Fort Scott … 5 … 11 … 10 … 6 … –  … 32

Bishop Miege (21-3) – Grant 4-12 0-0 8, F. McCallop 4-8 2-2 11, Verhulst 7-14 0-0 14, G. McCallop 4-12 2-2 10, Shull 0-0 0-0 0, F. LeMay 3-7 0-0 6, C. Kurt 1-2 0-0 3, Ortiz 0-2 0-0 0, A. Kurt 0-1 0-0 0, Duckers 1-21-2 3, Vossen 0-0 0-0 0, G. LeMay 2-2 2-2 6. Totals 26-62 7-8 61.

Fort Scott (22-2) – Gorman 0-6 2-2 2, Kegler 1-1 0-0 2, Brown 1-7 1-2 3, K. Yarick 6-15 5-5 19, Comstock 0-7 0-0 0, Cowan 0-2 0-0 0, Wheeler 0-1 0-0 0, McElroy 1-4 2-2 4, A. Yarick 1-1 0-0 2, Rogers 0-0 0-0 0, Belcher-Cowlishaw 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 10-44 10-11 32.

3-point goals – Bishop Miege 2-18 (F. McCallop 1-3, C. Kurt 1-2, Grant 0-3, Verhulst 0-3, G. McCallop 0-3, F. LeMay 0-1, Ortiz 0-2, Duckers 0-1); Fort Scott 2-20 (K. Yarick 2-6, Gorman 0-4, Brown 0-4, Comstock 0-1, Cowan 0-2, Wheeler 0-1, McElroy 0-2). Rebounds – Bishop Miege 40 (Verhulst 11); Fort Scott 28 (K.Yarick 7). Assists – Bishop Miege 10 (F. McCallop 4); Fort Scott 4 (Gorman 2). Turnovers – Bishop Miege 9, Fort Scott 19. Total fouls – Bishop Miege 16, Fort Scott 13. Fouled out – None.