By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
KING CITY - St. Joseph Christian raced out to a 16-point lead against King City in the first half on Friday night, but the Wildkats got it back to within two possessions in the third quarter.
Heck, King City was to within eight points with two minutes left.
The Lions (20-6), playing in King City's gym, never waivered, sinking 14-of-17 free throws and making five three-pointers in a 50-37 win in the Class 1 District 15 championship game Friday night.
King City (21-8) scored the first two points of the game, but St. Joseph Christian answered with a 7-0 run and never trailed after.
The Lions led 24-14 at halftime, and while it got a little tight down the stretch, a clutch three-pointer by senior Maya Freudenthal put Christian ahead 44-33 with 1:38 to go.
"I thought it was a really big shot," Freudenthal said, "especially at the timing of it. I knew right then that we were done and that we got it."
Freudenthal hit four three-pointers, two in the second quarter and two in the fourth, finishing with 12 points. Senior Chloe Burnham led the way with a game-high 20 points.
Burnham, a Seward County CC signee, was 9-for-9 at the free throw line Friday.
"It means so much," Burnham said of the victory, as Christian has now achieved 20 wins in three straight seasons, and district titles in two of the last three years.
"We really worked so hard these last 3-4 years. Last year, we had to play LeBlond (in district semifinals) and that sucked, but we knew we were going to get it this year, because we're strong and solid all the way around."
Junior Lexi McDaniel complimented the effort with 11 points.
Christian had beaten King City earlier this season on December 15, 49-35, in St. Joseph. While the Lions are playing well at the right time, it hasn't come easy this season.
Head coach Erin Patrick says his current starting lineup has only played together for 10 of the 26 games so far this season.
Freudenthal missed about 9-10 games after breaking a finger in the season-opener against Rock Port. Burnham broke her nose on two separate occasions this season.
Not to mention the Lions have faced a tough gauntlet this year with games against Nodaway Valley twice (23-5), North Platte (23-5) twice and also Meadville (27-0).
Yes, Christian had beaten King City by double digits two months ago, but to Patrick, that didn't matter at all going into Friday.
"That's the beauty of sports - what happened in the past doesn't matter," he said. "Look at how they talked the Chiefs down this year. The past means nothing. You just have to come and play. I think it's helped we've had a competitive schedule."
Christian advances to state sectionals on Monday for a game on the road against Platte Valley (26-1). That game will be played in Conception Junction with a likely tip time of 6 p.m.
Platte Valley beat Nodaway Valley in the C1D16 title game Friday, 45-41.
It's a Platte Valley team that's been to the Final Four in Class 1 in each of the last four seasons, winning state titles in 2021 and '22.
But, as Patrick reiterated - the past is the past. What matters to Christian is the now. What's in front of them.
"Like playing Platte Valley, it's going to be whoever executes, rebounds and shoots the best is going to win that game."
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