Rebel girls win second straight Three Rivers title

Published 10:59 pm Tuesday, February 12, 2013

ADAMS — The Southland girls basketball team had to earn its second straight Three Rivers Conference title as it held off Caledonia (17-7 overall, 12-6 Three Rivers) 72-70 to win the conference outright for the second straight season.

McKenzie Kirtz, who led the Rebels with 24 points, hit a free throw to put Southland up two in overtime, and Caledonia never got off a shot as time expired.

“It’s very big,” Southland head coach Bob Sheehan said. “This is a tough conference and I don’t know if anyone’s won back to back outright titles in awhile.”

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Southland (21-3 overall, 18-1 Three Rivers) trailed by 11 with seven minutes to go, but it didn’t panic.

“Caledonia was very physical with us,” Sheehan said. “We inched our way back and the girls dug deep. They knew they could come back against a good team.”

Southland scoring: McKenzie Kirtz, 24; Jana Schammel, 17; Haley Kirkpatrick, 11; Megan Mullenbach, 9; Hilary Bottema, 2