By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The wise vet and the young star came through when the Kickapoo Lady Chiefs needed it most.
Led by guards Kya Johnson and Josie Salazar, Kickapoo outlasted Republic 54-52 in Monday night’s Class 6 District 5 Tournament championship game at Glendale High School.
“To see these kids do it, it makes all the hours of practice, all the Sunday practices, all the workouts in the summer, all worth it,” said Lady Chiefs coach Leslie Hanchey.
Epic, for sure.
In front of a capacity crowd, there were four lead changes in the final minute alone. Salazar, a sophomore, went toe-to-toe with Republic senior Misora Nambara down the stretch.
Salazar’s basket with 17 seconds left put Kickapoo ahead, 53-52. Republic missed a runner on its ensuing possession in the final seconds.
After Kickapoo split a pair of free throws, Republic missed a desperation heave from half-court as time expired.
“The entire week we told Josie, ‘This is going to be your game,’” Hanchey said. “She played so well against (Republic) last time and I just kept telling her, ‘Drive to the bucket. Drive to the bucket.’
“That kid is in the gym every day trying to get better. For her to see that hard work carry over to a championship game like this, that’s going to give her so much confidence.’”
Salazar scored 10 of her team-high 17 in the fourth quarter.
“My team was doing everything they could and I just wanted to contribute to it,” Salazar said. “We work as a team and I put all my heart into it.”
The victory gives Kickapoo its eighth district title since 2015.
The Lady Chiefs (28-1 overall) will travel to Lee’s Summit (17-12) on Friday night, March 8 for a Class 6 quarterfinals contest. With a win, Kickapoo would head to the final four for the third time in four seasons.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
“This really means everything,” Johnson said after Monday’s win. “I’m just so glad I get to do it with this team. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Johnson finished with 13 points, including seven in the fourth, but her best contribution on Monday night may have been her leadership.
Kickapoo led by 10 at halftime, but saw the game flip as Republic scored 14 straight to start the second half. The Lady Chiefs went nearly seven minutes without a point.
“The wheels kind of fell off there in the third quarter,” Hanchey said.
Kickapoo trailed 36-33 entering the fourth, which was about the time Johnson called a team huddle.
“We just pulled the girls together and said, ‘Hey, it’s okay. It’s a game of runs,’” Johnson said. “All we could do is stay even, stay composed and play our game. It’s not about anyone else but the 13 girls we have playing in white. It’s about the name on our shirt – that’s who we play for.”
Hanchey noted that Johnson, a Division 1 signee for volleyball (Missouri State), is no stranger to big games. Between the two sports, Johnson has played in seven district title games during her Kickapoo career.
“Her senior leadership is just so great,” Hanchey said. “She’s been there. She knows what to do.”
Said Salazar: “Kya, man. She keeps our heads on straight.”
Kickapoo found its rhythm again in the fourth and briefly took the lead (48-44) with 2:30 to play on baskets from Salazar and Mikayla Pilley. Republic pulled even on back-to-back scores from senior post Alaina Norman.
“We just found a way,” Hanchey said. “At this point in the game, you just have to find a way sometimes no matter how ugly it is.”
Later on, Salazar – not yet known as a 3-point shooter – drained a corner 3-pointer out of a timeout that put Kickapoo up 51-50 with under one minute to play.
“I wasn’t going to shoot it, but I heard my coach screaming at the top of her lungs, ‘Shoot it!’ So I decided to let it fly,” Salazar said
Republic, which was seeking its 12th district title in the last 15 seasons, finishes 23-5 overall. Nambara had a team-high 17 points.
The Lady Tigers reached the 20-win mark for the third straight season and will graduate seven seniors.
Kickapoo 54, Republic 52
Republic 13 7 16 16 — 52
Kickapoo 15 15 3 21 — 54
Republic (23-5 overall) – Misora Nambara 17, Molly Blades 9, Alaina Norman 8, Lauren Chastain 8, Alex Price 4, Lanney Strong 4, Molly Mason 2
Kickapoo (28-1 overall) – Josie Salazar 17, Mikayla Pilley 13, Kya Johnson 13, Mikayla Smith 7, Allison Scott 3, Ari Mosley 1
