The 2002 Miss Basketball Showcase featured 32 prep girls all-star teams from
10 states. Nebraska/Iowa Elite finished 8-0, winning their pool and five
tournament games to capture their first Miss Basketball title. Congratulations to these players and all
who participated for a job well done! The following article is from the
July 15 issue of the Kearney Hub newspaper.
Nebraska/Iowa Elite wins
title from Daubert
By JASON LUTH, Hub Sports Writer
07/15/2002
KEARNEY - Nebraska/Iowa Elite posted a 70-64 overtime win versus Daubert
Pinnacle Nebraska in the championship game of the Miss Basketball Showcase
on Sunday - the first time in the tournament's seven-year history that two
Nebraska teams clashed in the finals.
"It says something about the quality of basketball in Nebraska,"
Tournament Director Doug Koster said. "It was a great game between two
great teams."
Nebraska/Iowa Elite led by as many as 14 points in the first half as
Nebraska recruit Andrea Lightfoot scored nine of her game-high 23 points.
Lightfoot was named the game's MVP.
Teammate Elisha Turek scored 11 of her 20 points in the first half as
Nebraska/Iowa Elite attacked from inside and out.
"We always expect to get to the finals," Nebraska/Iowa coach Jim McClurkin
said. "We walked through the tournament pretty easily until this game. We
are proud of the girls. I think they enjoyed winning it."
But Nebraska/Iowa almost started celebrating too early as Daubert Pinnacle
Nebraska opened the second half by hitting a pair of 3-pointers.
South Sioux City's Jenni Flynn got the ball rolling by knocking down a
3-pointer from the top of the key in the opening moments of the second
half. Falls City Sacred Heart's Katie O'Grady splashed another 3-pointer
on Daubert Pinnacle's next possession to cut the deficit to 36-32 with 13
minutes remaining in the game.
"We basically played the entire game with six players," McClurklin said.
"I think it tired us out in the second half, but they refused to quit.
"I was starting to think about the South Dakota tournament. I think they (Daubert
Pinnacle Nebraska) hit about 19 three's in that game."
Daubert Pinnacle tied the game at 52-52 with five minutes remaining, and
eventually led by as many as seven points.
But Lightfoot hit a baseline jumper with 15 seconds remaining to force the
game into overtime.
Nebraska/Iowa Elite quickly took a slim lead in overtime by getting to the
free-throw line. Haley Fries knocked down a pair of free throws with 15
seconds remaining to seal the win.
"I thought we were a shot or two away from putting it away," Daubert
Pinnacle Nebraska coach Kelly Flynn said. "But we started putting them at
the free-throw line, and it slipped away from us.
"We wanted to run, but it turned into a halfcourt game. They played like
champions down the stretch."
