2A Girls: Kendra Mathews’ big fourth quarter sends Lynx into title game

SPARKS — Kendra Mathews scored eight of her 15 points in the fourth quarter Friday, and Lincoln County’s girls basketball team used a game-ending 10-2 run to defeat Battle Mountain 52-42 in a Class 2A state semifinal at Sparks High.

Battle Mountain led 37-32 early in the fourth quarter, but Mathews made two free throws with just less than three minutes to play to break a 40-40 tie. Brynlee Wadsworth added a pair of free throws, and Sadie Soderborg made 1 of 2 free throws to give the Lynx a 45-40 lead.

Mathews added a hoop to extend the lead to 47-40 before the Longhorns broke a three-minute dry spell with a Sheradyn Slaybaugh basket.

Wadsworth added four more free throws, sandwiched around a Brooklyn Hafen free throw to close out the win.

Lincoln County (25-3) will face White Pine (26-2) for the state title at 6:20 p.m. Saturday at UNR. It’s the first title game appearance for the Lynx since 2013. Lincoln County last won a girls basketball state title in 2000.

Hafen led all scorers with 16 points, and Kailey Kelley scored 10 for Lincoln County.

Grace Melver led the Longhorns (22-7) with 15 points, and teammate Isabella DeAllah scored 11.

White Pine 45, Needles 29 — Eva Kingston scored nine of her game-high 15 points in the third quarter as the Bobcats advanced to the final by downing the Mustangs.

Kingston made only three baskets in the game — all in the third quarter — but made 8 of 12 free throws for White Pine, which carried a 28-20 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Bobcats hit 7 of 13 free throws in the fourth and got a pair of 3-pointers from Hailey Ernest to pull away.

Paige Murch had eight points to lead Needles (21-11). The Mustangs made only nine shots from the field.