Treynor pulls away late to beat North Linn in girls' state basketball quarterfinals

DES MOINES — They were cold. Really cold. But somehow, the North Linn Lynx were still in it.

'We were right there,' Coach Brian Wheatley said. 'We had a chance.'

Then, Konnor Sudmann broke loose, and Treynor broke free.

Sudmann hit a key 3-pointer with 2:25 to play, then nailed six straight free throws in the final 45 seconds as the third-ranked Cardinals pulled away from No. 8 North Linn, 53-44, in a Class 2A quarterfinal at the girls' state basketball tournament Wednesday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.

Treynor (24-1) will face No. 2 Central Decatur (23-0) in a semifinal at 11:45 a.m. Friday. Central Decatur rallied from an early 14-point deficit to beat No. 12 Aplington-Parkersburg, 57-49.

The Cardinals hadn't scored in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter and led just 40-39, but Sudmann's 3-pointer turned the momentum their way for good. She finished with a game-high 20 points.

'I was looking for an open shot, and that one happened to be there,' she said.

North Linn (21-2) got within three points twice after that, the last time when Kylie Kurt's basket made it 47-44 with 50 seconds left. But Sudmann put the Lynx away, two free throws at a time.

'I was really nervous,' she said. 'I tried to keep a calm exterior.'

The Lynx shot just 26.5 percent from the field (13 of 49), including 4 of 24 from long distance.

Still, they had a chance late. Down 40-33 heading into the fourth quarter, the Lynx pulled within one when Hannah Bridgewater converted on a drive with 5:00 left. It remained 40-39 until Sudmann's key trey.

'We had a fighting chance, the adrenaline was running high,' North Linn's Ellie Ware said. 'But we didn't make enough shots. That's just the way it is.'

'Sometimes, it's just not your day,' said Kurt, who paced North Linn with 14 points.

Grace Flanagan added 11 points, Ware 10.

Treynor went to an extended 2-3 zone in the second half, and it slowed the Lynx's outside attack.

'We had to get a hand in their face, a hand in the passing lanes,' Sudmann said.

North Linn led 18-12 early in the second quarter on a 3-pointer by Kurt, but Treynor scored the next nine points to flip momentum.

Grace Flanagan's 3-pointer put the Lynx up 23-21, then Sydney Carman scored the last five points of the half, and Treynor took a 26-23 lead into intermission.

Sydney Burke's trey gave North Linn the lead, 28-26, but it was the final time the Lynx were in front. Sydni Husmann scored the next two baskets, igniting a 13-3 Treynor surge.

TREYNOR 53, NORTH LINN 44

2A State Quarterfinal, at Des Moines

NORTH LINN (44): Grace Flanagan 2-10 6-6 11, Ellie Ware 3-10 4-6 10, Abby Flanagan 0-6 4-4 4, Kylie Kurt 6-14 0-0 14, Sydney Burke 1-5 0-2 3, Fallon Finnegan 0-1 0-0 0, Hannah Bridgewater 1-2 0-0 2, Chloe Van Etten 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 13-49 14-18 44.

TREYNOR (53): Tori Castle 0-3 3-6 3, Mandy Stogdill 2-5 0-0 6, Konnor Sudmann 6-14 6-6 20, Kayla Chapman 2-7 2-2 6, Sydni Huisman 4-5 1-4 9, Noel James 1-3 0-0 2, Sydney Carman 3-5 0-0 7. Totals 18-42 12-18 53.

Halftime: Treynor 26, North Linn 23. 3-point goals: North Linn 4-24 (G. Flanagan 1-8, A. Flanagan 0-3, Kurt 2-8, Burke 1-4, Bridgewater 0-1), Treynor 5-19 (Castle 0-3, Stogdill 2-3, Sudmann 2-6, Chapman 0-3, James 0-1, Carman 1-3). Team fouls: North Linn 13, Treynor 14. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: North Linn 34 (A. Flanagan 12), Treynor 31 (Sudmann, Chapman 9). Assists: North Linn 8 (A. Flanagan 5), Treynor 12 (Chapman 4). Steals: North Linn 4 (Kurt, Bridgewater 2), Treynor 8 (Sudmann, Chapman 3). Turnovers: North Linn 11, Treynor 10.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com