Akron claimed the 2A girls basketball championship on Saturday. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
PUEBLO — With a possible state championship slipping away, Akron’s Karli Christensen and Jordan Baer saved the day.
The seniors combined to make four free throws in the final 45.8 seconds, vaulting the Rams to a 53-48 win over Yuma in the Class 2A state championship game Saturday before a capacity crowd at Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Massari Arena.
“I was really nervous,” said Christensen about when she stepped to the line with 32 seconds left. “After practice we work on our free throws and I just thought I was at practice and I got my arm under the ball and followed through straight. This is the best feeling in the world.”
Baer concurred with her teammate.
“We have always been taught to play hard defense and make free throws at that’s what we did,” Baer said. “This is definitely the best state championship yet, and we did this as a team.”
Akron, which also won state in 2012 and 2013, finished the season with a 25-2 record. The Rams also finished the season with a 3-1 record against Yuma, winning the last three in a row.
“This has been an unbelievable year and very emotional,” said Akron coach Alan Baer, Jordan’s father. “I’m so proud of our kids. We have a bunch of seniors that wanted it from Day 1 and they bought into a system a long time ago and I’m so happy for them.”
Baer is serving as Akron’s interim coach. He took over the program when Rick Agan, who had a 94-11 record guiding the Rams, left the team right before the season began.
While Akron was celebrating another state crown, Yuma was dealing with its third-consecutive loss in the state title game.
The Indians (21-5) lost to Akron (2013), Lutheran (2014) and Akron in the finals the last three years. The Indians were trying to win their first girls state basketball championship since 1997.
Yuma was trailing 49-42 with 3:28 to play and then it made a frantic comeback.
When Logan Hixon made three free throws at the 1:03 mark, the Indians cut the deficit to 49-48, but could get no closer.
“The girls worked hard and we knew we had to try and get some shots up and score,” Yuma coach Mike Neill said. “We also knew we had to get some steals and then foul them and have them try and make free throws and it was working, and we ended up having to foul one too many times, and we ran out of time.
“Akron has a great team and this was a good game and they were a little better than us (Saturday night). I told the girls there is nothing wrong with second place. They are winners in my mind.”
With 1 minute left, Yuma had the ball, but couldn’t get off a shot before Akron senior Lizzie Holtorf got a steal. With 45.8 seconds showing on the clock, Hixon fouled Baer and fouled out. Baer made one free throw to put the Rams up 50-48.
Yuma’s next time down the court the Indians fumbled the ball, which resulted in a tie up and the possession arrow went to Akron at 36.4 seconds. Christensen was fouled at 32 seconds and she proceeded to nail her two attempts.
“I probably delayed too early, and I was a little nervous, but we shoot free throws really well and it paid off,” Coach Baer said. “I’m so proud of Karli Christensen. She is the ultimate role player and without our role players we don’t win state.”
When Yuma’s Tara Traphagan missed a jumper with 11 seconds left, Baer was fouled and made one more free throw to ice the game.
In the first half, Yuma jumped out to an early 9-1 lead after Traphagan’s inside bucket at 3:53 of the first quarter. Moments later, the Indians went up 14-5 following Mallory Noble’s basket with 1:58 left in the first.
The lead didn’t last.
Akron came storming with a 24-9 run to end the half and went to the locker room with a 29-23 edge.
The Rams’ charge was fueled by A.J. Miller and Jordan Baer, who finished the half with 13 and 11 points. Miller, a junior, had a trio of treys, including back-to-back 3-pointers on the Rams’ final two possessions of the second quarter.
Miller finished with a game-high 23 points and Baer added 21. Katrina Terrell (15 points) and Hixon (12) paced Yuma in the loss.