Incline basketball: Girls topple Agassi Prep, advance to NV state title game
swright@sierrasun.com
Sylas Wright / North Lake Tahoe Bonanza |
RENO — Freshman guard Taylor Redfern went off for 23 points and senior forward Kira Porter added 16 as the Incline girls defeated Agassi Prep 60-46 in the semifinal round of the Division III state championship Friday.
The Highlanders, seeded No. 1 in the North, will now take on top Southern seed White Pine in the state final at Lawlor Events Center on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Friday’s semifinal seemed destined for a close finish as the Highlanders and Stars swapped leads on nine occasions in the first half.
The second half was a different story.
Incline, which led 22-19 at the midway point, took control with a 22-point third quarter. Redfern led the charge with 12 straight points, including two three-pointers, as the Highlanders built a 41-28 lead with a 19-7 run.
The Stars closed the quarter with an 8-0 run of their own to close the gap to eight points, 44-36, by the end of the frame.
Incline junior Harmony Bates halted Agassi Prep’s momentum with a three-pointer to start the fourth quarter and followed with a pair of free throws, while Porter extended the Incline run to seven with a fast-break layup that pushed the lead back to 15 points, 51-36.
Bates finished with eight points, Emily White scored six, Haeden Suter three and Briana Barraza two.
The Highlanders will have their work cut out in the state final against defending champion White Pine, which routed No. 2 Northern seed West Wendover 45-27 in their semifinal Friday. Last season, White Pine eliminated Incline from the state tournament in the semifinal round en route to the title.
