BALLARD 47, SIOUX CITY NORTH 22

Efficient offense and stifling defense combined to make Ballard a state champion.

The top-ranked Bombers shut down defending champion Sioux City Bishop Heelan and got strong games from Taylor Greenfield and Amanda Zimmerman in beating the Crusaders 47-22 Saturday night to win the Class 3A title.

Greenfield, a sophomore with star potential, led Ballard with 18 points and Zimmerman, who'll play at Iowa State next season, added 16 in her final high school game.

Ballard shot 50 percent for the game and held seventh-ranked Bishop Heelan to four points in the second half.

Carli Tritz, who was voted captain of the all-tournament team, led Bishop Heelan with 12 points.

The championship capped a successful but at times frustrating career for Zimmerman, who led Ballard to the state tournament each of the three previous years, only to fall short of the title. The Bombers lost in the championship game in 2006 and in the semifinals each of the last two seasons.

But with Greenfield emerging as a force this season and with the experience gained from the earlier trips, the Bombers couldn't be denied a fourth time.

They never trailed, went on a 14-2 run in the second quarter to gain control of the game by halftime, then outscored Heelan 19-4 in the second half to win going away and finish with a 26-1 record. Heelan finished 20-5.

Greenfield started as a freshman last season and played well, but she became a huge factor this season. Against Heelan, she made seven of 11 shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, and handed out three assists.

She also was right in the middle of the big run that broke a 14-all tie in the second quarter, making a layup on a high-post feed from Zimmerman, hitting a 3-pointer and scoring on a turnaround after posting up, giving Ballard a 28-16 lead.

Tritz scored at the buzzer to make it a 10-point lead at halftime and that's about where the two teams were in last year's semifinals. Bishop Heelan rallied from an 11-point deficit at the half in that game and won 50-49 in overtime.

But there was no comeback this time. Greenfield started the second half with a 3-pointer and the Bombers built their lead from there.

Tritz was joined on the all-tournament team by Zimmerman, Greenfield, Brooke Gritters of Pella and Mary Halvorson of Waukon.