• Photo Showcase: Prep basketball, Jan. 21

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Beatrice rode a strong fourth-quarter performance Saturday to its first River Cities Conference tournament girls basketball title.

The Lady Orange, ranked third in Class B, scored 19 points in the final period to defeat South Sioux City 55-45 in the championship. Beatrice was led by senior Alicia Armstrong, who scored a game-high 25 points.

Coach Ryan Luke’s squad led 20-14 after the first but trailed 26-24 at halftime. Beatrice held a 36-35 lead after three quarters, and then came gut-check time.

“Going into the fourth quarter, I told our girls it came down to who wanted it the most,’’ Luke said. “Then we got a little extra energy burst after that.’’

Beatrice scored the first three baskets of the final period. That extended the Lady Orange’s lead to seven and South Sioux was unable to get closer than three the rest of the way.

Armstrong, who pulled down 14 rebounds to go with her 25 points, said the victory was especially sweet after losing to the Cardinals in the tourney final last year. Beatrice defeated South Sioux City 43-27 in a regular-season game last Saturday night.

“The first time we played them was revenge for last year,’’ she said. “This was the topper.’’

Armstrong scored eight points in the fourth quarter and had perhaps the biggest basket of the game on a putback in the closing minutes after the Cardinals crept within 44-41.

“We didn’t make many shots down the stretch and it cost us,’’ South Sioux coach Ashley O’Dell said. “And Alicia Armstrong is an amazing athlete.’’

The Lady Orange’s win represented the second time that South Sioux has not captured the River Cities girls tourney title in the 17 years it has been contested. Omaha Skutt won the 2010 crown.

“It’s a great feeling to win this tournament,’’ Luke said. “We knew we’d get their best game today, and we just had to be better.’’

Beatrice (12-2).....................20 4 12 19 -- 55
S. Sioux City (9-5)................14 12 9 10 -- 45
B: Hanah Barnard 9, Alicia Armstrong 25, Jill Faxon 7, Chantel Adams 8, Taylor Buhr 6.
SSC: Emily Schram 2, Morgan Hansen 20, Sara Hohenstein 10, Jordan Closter 4, Andreana Sharpback 9.

Contact the writer:

402-444-1350, mike.patterson@owh.com
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