NORMAL -- After Morgan Tuck led Bolingbrook to a state championship last season as a freshman, she won the Illinois Ms. Basketball award and became a well-known name in girls basketball circles.
On Saturday in a rematch of the Class 4A championship game between Young and Bolingbrook, a green collection of Young players made sure those in Bolingbrook know their names. The second-ranked Dolphins pushed the top-ranked Raiders to the brink before falling 60-50.
Behind 18 points from junior guard Ariel Massengale, Bolingbrook (29-1) won its third championship in five years. Tuck scored only 10 points, but her two free throws with 4.9 seconds to play sealed it.
Bolingbrook and Young (28-3) had split the two previous Class 4A championship games.
But these were not the same Dolphins that lost by 24 to Bolingbrook last season. Junior Kiana Johnson, who was a little-used reserve on the 2009 team, scored 18 points before fouling out with 1 minute, 23 seconds to play.
After Young trailed 29-16 at halftime due in part to 24 percent shooting, Johnson scored seven points in an 11-2 Young run in the third quarter. Her 3-pointer with 22 seconds to play in the period brought Young within 37-34.
Chanise Jenkins hit a 3-pointer and Janee Thompson made a layup to pull Young within 47-45 with just more than 3 minutes to play. Thompson made a layup to tie it at 47-47, but Tuck scored her first basket since the first quarter and Nicosia Henry made two free throws to make it 51-47.
But Cabriana Capers made a basket and two free throws with 48.6 seconds to play to give Bolingbrook a 55-48 lead.
Janee Thompson added 15 points for Young.
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