Tara Padgett scored 21 points, including five backbreaking 3-pointers to lead Freeland to a 54-49 title victory Thursday night over Big Rapids.
Tori Jankoska added 20 points.
Cameron Baumunk led Big Rapids with 17 points while Kendra Enszer added 12 points and 16 rebounds.
Freeland, 21-3, heads to the quarterfinals at Alma Tuesday night. The season ends for Big Rapids at 19-5.
Jankoska scored only four points the first half but contributed 16 in the second half.
“In a tournament like this, they’re going to go after your all-stater,” said Freeland coach Tom Zolinski. “It’s up to the other girls to step up and contribute. We did tonight. It took awhile. We were 2-of-18 in the first half in threes.”
The Cardinals had a 21-18 halftime lead but the Falcons were able to get back in the game with six threes and some clutch offensive rebounding in the second half.
Kasey Woodworth’s putback gave BR a 44-40 lead with 6:05 to play. Jankoska’s putback at 5:21 tied the game at 44-44. Freeland continued to take advantage of its offensive rebounding and two straight threes by Padgett made it 50-44, Freeland, at 4:20. Baumunk netted a triple at 3:50 to cut Freeland’s lead to three points. Baumunk narrowed it to one point with two free throws at 2:51.
Jankoska’s offensive rebound and putback made it 52-49 at 2:05. Padgett also netted two free throws in the final seconds to end the scoring.
“Alex Folkema chased (Jankoska) all over the place,” Big Rapids coach Jessica Haist said. “Makayla Hayes too…We said if we could hold her to 20, we’d feel good about ourselves. They did a great job on defense.”