No. 1 will meet No. 2 in a rematch to decide the Class 3A state championship.

 

   Top-ranked Ballard completed the pairing for the title game by defeating No. 8 Harlan 58-45 in Thursday night's semifinals. The Bombers improved to 26-0 and will meet second-ranked Norwalk at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

 

   Ballard defeated Norwalk 73-70 in one of the highlight games of the regular season.

 

   Senior Alison Lacy and freshman Amanda Zimmerman led Ballard with 20 points each. Lacy, who has signed with Iowa State, also led the Bombers with 10 rebounds. Zimmerman, who has committed to Iowa State, went 7-for-8 from the field and didn't miss a shot until just 1:09 remained in the game.

 

   Another freshman, Ally Jensen, made four 3-pointers and added 15 points for Ballard, which is seeking its first title.

 

   Kelli Goeser led Harlan with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Whitney Jacobs also scored 12 points for the Cyclones and Ashley Brown added eight.

 

   Harlan trailed by 11 points early in the second quarter, then made nine of 10 free throws in the final 2 1/2 minutes of the period to cut the lead to 31-30.

 

   Ballard never gave up the lead, however, and began pulling away by getting the ball to the 6-foot-2 Zimmerman near the basket. Zimmerman got Ballard's final four field goals of the third quarter as the lead grew to 48-41, then converted a three-point play after banking a shot high off the glass at the start of the fourth quarter.

 

   That made it 51-41 and the lead never got below eight after that.

 

   Harlan finishes 22-4 after reaching the state tournament for the first time since 1997.