Rozier's shot secures title as St. Vincent wins 40-38

CHAFFEE -- Meadow Heights' defense collapsed on Lacey Siegmund, causing a moment of panic.

She dealt with the pressure by delivering a perfect bounce pass to teammate Elizabeth Rozier.

"I looked up and saw a girl in front of me, and I saw Elizabeth," Siegmund said. "I was like, 'I don't want to take the last shot.' So I gave it over to her. She was wide open."

Rozier's layin hit the rim then fell through to give the St. Vincent girls basketball team a 40-38 lead over Meadow Heights with 2.5 seconds left. The Panthers' inbound pass hit the air conditioning ducts in the ceiling, and the Indians successfully inbounded the ball to secure the Class 2 District 3 championship with the 40-38 win Thursday.

"It was the best feeling in the world," Rozier said.

St. Vincent's Brooke Brown put up a shot over Meadow Heights' Heather Dietiker during the Class 2 District 3 title game Thursday at Chaffee High School.

The game-winner was Rozier's lone basket. She said she expected the ball when she saw Meadow Heights' defense attack Siegmund.

"Once she got the ball on the outside and the defense committed, I knew," Rozier said.

After delivering the pass, Siegmund could only watch Rozier put up the shot.

"I was a little bit nervous because it went around the hoop a little bit," Siegmund said. "I was just praying it was going in."

The Panthers (10-12) never led in the first half, and took their first lead on Heather Dietiker's 3-pointer with 1:48 left in the third quarter. Meadow Heights limited the Indians to 29 percent (4-of-14) from the field in the third quarter.

Meadow Heights' Danielle Welker tries to go up for a shot gaurded by St. Vincent's Lindsey Wehmeyer during the district title game on Thursday, February 28, 2008. (Aaron Eisenhauer)

Things got worse for the Indians in the fourth quarter as they shot 19 percent (3-of-16) from the floor in the final quarter.

"They were putting a lot of body on us," Siegmund said. "We weren't used to that. ... We had to kick it outside and our shots weren't falling for us."

But Meadow Heights' offense struggled even more in the fourth, shooting 18 percent (2-of-11). Still the Panthers tied the game at 38-38 with 35.5 seconds left when Amanda Hendrickson drove to the basket, made it and got fouled. But she missed the free throw.

Missed free throws were the Achilles' heel for both teams in the second half. The Indians (19-8) shot 40 percent (4-of-10), while the Panthers shot 38 percent (6-of-16).

"We've worked on it all year long," Meadow Heights coach Mitch Nanney said. "We even tried to bribe them with ice cream once. We didn't make them when we needed them. If you make them, I think we walk out of here a winner."

St. Vincent's Lacey Siegmund was guarded closely by Meadow Height's Chelsey Kight during the title game. (Aaron Eisenhauer)

ST. VINCENT 40, MEADOW HEIGHTS 38

Meadow Heights 6 11 13 8 -- 38

St. Vincent 15 7 9 9 -- 40

Meadow Heights (38) -- Ashley Doublin 5, Amanda Hendrickson 18, Heather Dietiker 9, Chelsey Kight 6. FG 12, FT 9-22, F 13 (3-pointers: Dietiker 3, Hendrickson 1, Doublin 1. Fouled out: None)

St. Vincent (40) -- Lacey Siegmund 3, Kelsey Cissell 5, Courtney Besand 13, Lindsey Wehmeyer 1, Brooke Brown 12, Elizabeth Rozier 2, Jessica Welker 4. FG 17, FT 5-13, F 20 (3-pointers: Cissell 1. Fouled out: Cissell)

Saxony lutheran 66, Puxico 52

Puxico 12 4 20 16 -- 52

Saxony 13 18 20 15 -- 66

Puxico (52) -- J Hon 5, John Smith 9, Matt Allison 14, Kerry McClure 10, David Crain 14. FG 20, 8-13, F 14 (3-pointers: Allison 3, Hon 1. Fouled out: None)

Saxony Lutheran (66) -- Zach Bohnert 10, Ben Courtois 10, Austin Kwikkel 10, Garrett Ruppel 6, Max Wieser 12, Bret Steffens 18. FG 28, FT 6-12, F 11 (3-pointers: Ruppel 2, Wieser 1, Steffens 1. Fouled out: None)