NORTH BUTLER 40, COON RAPIDS-BAYARD 39

North Butler put together a big comeback to move a step closer to another state championship.

The fifth-ranked Bearcats overcame a 10-point deficit, then held on down the stretch to beat Coon Rapids-Bayard 40-39 in Class 1A play on Monday.

Bobbi Boomgarden and Carly Jacobs each scored 10 points to lead North Butler and Elizabeth Schroeder blocked Coon Rapids-Bayard's final shot in the closing seconds.

Coon Rapids-Bayard starts two freshmen and they were among the Crusaders' top scorers, Katie Dentlinger finishing with 11 to lead the team and Mary Halverson adding 10. Heidi Esdohr also scored 10 for Coon Rapids-Bayard and Lindsey Reis had six.

North Butler, which won Class 2A state championships in 2006 and 2007, advances into an 8 p.m. semifinal game on Wednesday with a 22-1 record. Coon Rapids-Bayard had a 13-game winning streak broken and finished 20-6.

Coon Rapids-Bayard ran off six straight points to open a 25-15 lead midway through the second quarter and led 27-22 after Dentlinger scored on a putback. But the Crusaders went the next 14:25 without a field goal and North Butler built a 40-31 lead.

Coon Rapids-Bayard regrouped and ran off eight points in a row to get to within a point, but North Butler dug in on the defensive end and held on.