DIVISION I GIRLS: Wilmore wills Centennial past Liberty in title game

RENO — It seemed only fitting that Pam Wilmore clutched the game ball in her hands outside of Centennial's locker room Friday night.

The junior point guard, who spent most of the season selflessly distributing the ball to her teammates, finally took a few shots of her own Friday.

And just kept making them.

Wilmore went 7-for-8 from the field and had 21 points — six of those during a game-opening 20-3 run that lifted the Bulldogs to a 78-62 win over Liberty in the Division I girls basketball championship game at Lawlor Events Center.

"This was our last game, so we might as well just come out as hard as we can," said Wilmore, who helped the Bulldogs to their second straight state title and eighth overall. "We had some seniors we wanted to play for."

Wilmore — who often goes unnoticed while setting up her teammates — set the tone early, and Centennial (31-1) never seriously was challenged.

After the quick start, the Patriots (26-4) never got closer than 15 points.

The Bulldogs hit their first seven shots from the field, while Liberty started 0-for-7.

"That was the start we wanted," Centennial coach Karen Weitz said. "The girls came out and made a statement. It was just their intensity at the start. They had some motivation."

The Patriots' first hoop came on a putback by Lisa Tauala with 3:26 left in the first quarter. It cut Centennial's lead to 20-5.

"When you have a good team like this and you fall behind, it's hard to get back," Liberty coach Chad Kapanui said. "They didn't miss any shot. If we didn't start out that way, it would have been a totally different game."

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 4 nationally by USA Today, stretched the lead to 46-22 at the half, shooting 20-for-36 in the first half before cooling off in the second half.

Jayden Eggleston added 17 points, and freshman reserve guard Melanie Isbell had nine points and 11 rebounds for Centennial. Isbell, Wilmore and senior Tanjanae Wells — the Bulldogs' three shortest players — combined for 20 of the team's 46 rebounds.

"They're boarders," Weitz said. "And sometimes rebounding isn't about height. It's about desire. And our guards come out and play hard."

Weitz stopped short of calling this her best team ever, but it has to rank up there. The Bulldogs defeated four nationally ranked teams this season.

"Kids are different nowadays," the 17th-year coach said. "You'll never be able to answer that question."

Taylor Turney had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Liberty, and teammate Alexis Tomassi added 13 points.

"I thought it was a great season," Kapanui said. "It was a good learning experience for the young kids I have on the team."

Contact reporter Bartt Davis at bdavis@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5230.