COOS BAY — The goal for the Crusaders wasn’t to go into a stall offense.
Salem Academy’s Sydney Brown puts back up a shot after a rebound against Amity in the semifinals of the OSAA Class 3A state tournament at Marshfield High School on Friday, March 4, 2016.
But it’s what played out.
With less than five minutes left in Salem Academy’s OSAA Class 3A state semifinal game against Amity on Friday and an eight point lead, the Crusaders spread the floor on offense and the tempo of the game came to a crawl.
Amity took full advantage.
The Warriors came charging back and Madelynn Krotzer hit two free throws with 35 seconds left to put Amity up for good inn a 34-31 win at Marshfield High School.
“I was just trying to spread them out so we could get around them and we could get a back door cut or something like that, and we got a couple fouls, and then we started struggling from the line and just several point blank shots that just rimmed out,” Amity coach Ben Brown said. “It definitely wasn’t the plan, but it ended up being what we executed.”
Amity (23-6) advances to Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. state championship game and will play West Valley League rival Dayton for the 3A state championship.
In the three games Amity and Dayton played this season, Dayton won two of the three.
“It says a lot about our league, how many teams came to Coos Bay from our league,” Amity senior guard Madelynn Krotzer said.
The Warriors are in the state championship game for the first time since 1997.
Amity coach Reg McShane coached Nestucca to a state championship in 1995.
“I look forward to playing them,” McShane said. “I know (Dayton coach Scott Spink is) not only a good coach, but a friend, and he was coaching back when I was at Nestucca and we won a state championship back there, and I have the utmost respect, and I think our kids do. “I’m just hoping that it’s our turn. That game at the district tournament was another example. We were behind 19-5 and cane back. I just think it will be a good game.”
Salem Academy (25-3) next plays Coquille in Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. third place game.
“Now we just have to regain our composure,” McShane said. “That’s the hardest thing is having those aspirations of winning state, we already beat Amity and Dayton once this year, and hopefully take that momentum into here, and now refocus everything and gird our loins and get back and try to focus on the third place game. If not, we’ll get run over.”
Salem Academy led most of the way and was up 24-12 in the third quarter after a basket by Aimee Smith, who finished with 18 points.
Amity went on runs of 7-0 and 7-0 and Morgan Croxford’s rebound basket put the Warriors up for the first time in the game at 30-29 with 1:20 left.
Smith made a basket in transition to take the lead back at 31-30 with 40 seconds left, then Krotzer was fouled and made both free throws with 35 seconds left to up for good at 32-31.
“I knew that going into it I needed to make them to help put us in a good position to win the game, but I was not overthinking anything,” Krotzer said. “I was relaxing and thinking okay, I don’t need to necessarily make them. I needed to, but not think that because it would put too much pressure on myself.”
Salem Academy had its chances down the stretch, but Amity’s Lindsay McShane came down with a rebound, was fouled with 2.9 seconds left and made both free throws to put the game away.
bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler