2011 Iowa Girls State Basketball Tournament

Class 2A First Round

Estherville-Lincoln Central 61, Pella Christian 51 (OT)

Youth isn't holding Estherville-Lincoln Central back at all.

A team loaded with sophomores, the unranked Midgettes are heading to the Class 2A semifinals after beating Pella Christian 61-51 in overtime.

Emily Kirchner, one of four sophomores who start for Estherville-Lincoln, hit a driving shot with 11.5 seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 51, then intercepted an inbounds pass underneath Pella Christian's basket to preserve the tie and produce overtime.

The Midgettes outscored the Eagles 10-0 in the extra session to improve to 22-4 on the season. They'll play second-ranked Roland-Story at 1:45 p.m. Thursday, with the winner advancing to Friday night's championship game.

Estherville-Lincoln Central has just one junior and one senior on its roster. Sophomore Allie Sievert led the Midgettes with 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. Junior Alyssa Johnson had 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Kirchner finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Tayler Stursma led Pella Christian with 16 points and Jasmin Schelhaas scored 14.

Pella Christian trailed by as many as nine points in the first half and was down five in the fourth quarter before charging back. Stursma's layup and Cali Vink's free throw gave the Eagles a 51-49 lead, and they had a chance after Kirchner scored her tying basket, calling time with 2.2 seconds left.

But Estherville-Lincoln Central deflected two inbounds passes out of bounds before Kirchner intercepted the last one to keep it tied.

Pella Christian, in the tournament for the eighth time, finishes 20-5.