GIRLS STATE BASKETBALL: Links Prevail Behind Franklin Over Bell. East
LINCOLN–(KFOR Mar. 7)–J’unti Franklin helped Lincoln High win their first state tournament game in 22 years on Monday evening, by hitting a key basket that sparked a late scoring run to give the Links a 52-41 victory over Bellevue East, in the girls Class A quarterfinals of the NSAA State Basketball Tournament inside Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Lincoln High (22-2) now plays Fremont in the Class A semifinals Wednesday 7:45pm, which you can hear on KFOR FM103.3/1240AM.
Franklin, who scored 13 points, broke a 41-41 tie with 2:40 left by hitting a three-pointer that sparked a 12-0 Links run to finish the game. Bri Robinson also helped Lincoln High during the spurt. She finished the game with 12 points.
The Links had a 27-21 halftime lead before Bellevue West got as close as three in the third quarter. Franklin’s three-pointer gave in the third quarter gave Lincoln High a 36-31 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Bellevue East then went down by seven but rallied back midway through the fourth to take a one point lead off a basket from Riley Jensen. Lincoln High tied the game on a free-throw before the 12-0 run to finish the game.
Jensen had 17 points in the loss for the Chieftains, who finish the year at 19-7.
Meanwhile, Fremont got a 57-41 victory over two-time defending state champion Lincoln Pius X in the game that opened the evening session Monday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
The Tigers (25-2) got a boost from Iowa recruit Taylor McCabe, who had 22 points in the win, including a three-pointer to spark a 12-2 scoring run and put the game out of reach.
Pius X (19-7) was led by Makenna Lesiak’s 21 points.
Fremont avenged a loss from the 2021 Class A state championship and won the season series over the Thunderbolts 2-1.