BETHANY — Okarche’s once promising lead lead had all but withered away by the time Rachel McDowell stepped to the free-throw with with less than 40 seconds remaining in the opening round of the Class A state tournament at SNU’s Sawyer Center.
But McDowell stepped to the line and calmly sank a pair of free throws to extend the lead to two possessions and help Okarche hold off Vici 44-38.
“It was crazy,” Okarche coach Kelli Jennings said of the finish. “I think they flustered us, which was their goal. But the big thing was I had seniors step up and hit free throws when it mattered.