The defending Class 3A Iowa High School Girls Basketball State Tournament champion will return to the title game. Neveda held off Center Point-Urbana 49-41 during their semifinal match-up.

Another strong effort on defense has given defending champion Nevada a chance to win another title.

It will come against the same team the Cubs beat for last year's crown.

Lexy Koudelka, Nevada's 6-foot-1 sophomore center, hit a 3-point dagger from the left corner with under 2 minutes to play and the third-ranked Cubs went on to beat No. 2 Center Point-Urbana in the Class 3A semifinals.

Koudelka finished with 21 points to help carry her team into a championship matchup with No. 1 Pocahontas Area at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Nevada is one of the few teams that has been able to slow the high-powered Pocahontas offense and the Cubs have done it twice. They beat Pocahontas 58-54 in the title game a year ago, then lost to the Indians 55-52 earlier this season.

Nevada held Center Point-Urbana in check throughout and did what it had to on offense to advance. Koudelka played her usual efficient game, making 7-of-9 shots, sinking 6-of-8 free throws and grabbing seven rebounds.

Abby Stephenson added nine points and four assists for the Cubs, while Kati Cassabaum scored seven points.

Senior Arika Wooldridge had 20 points and seven rebounds in her final game for Center Point-Urbana. She'll play at Winona State next season. Her sister Allison, a sophomore, scored 13 points.

Nevada led 23-20 at halftime and never trailed in the second half, though Center Point-Urbana kept threatening.

The Stormin' Pointers tied it twice, the last time at 35-all on Arika Wooldridge's jumper. Koudelka converted a three-point play for a 39-35 lead, and after Allison Wooldridge scored for the Pointers, Koudelka splashed her big 3 from the left corner for a 42-37 lead with 1:52 remaining.

Alli Fey sank a pair of free throws 37 seconds later and the Cubs were on their way to the finals.

Story Courtesy of IGHSAU


Nevada vs Center Point-Urbana
3/3/16 6:45 PM at Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IA

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VISITORS: Nevada 23-3
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
01 Ausman, Claire...... *  1-6    1-5    1-2    0  4  4   0   4  1  2  0  1  32
03 Stephenson, Abby.... *  3-5    0-1    3-5    2  1  3   3   9  4  6  0  3  30
15 Koudelka, Lexy...... *  7-9    1-1    6-8    2  4  6   2  21  2  7  1  0  28
23 Fey, Alli........... *  1-6    0-5    3-5    0  4  4   2   5  1  2  0  1  32
35 Cassabaum, Kati..... *  3-7    0-0    0-0    3  4  7   3   6  2  1  4  4  31
25 Kapustka, Izzy......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   2
43 Rhodes, Hattie......    1-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   2  0  0  1  0   5
   TEAM................                            3  3
   Totals..............   16-34   2-12  13-20   7 20 27  11  47 10 18  6  9 160

TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  8-18 44.4%   2nd Half:  8-16 50.0%   Game: 47.1%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-7  14.3%   2nd Half:  1-5  20.0%   Game: 16.7%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  6-9  66.7%   2nd Half:  7-11 63.6%   Game: 65.0%    2


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HOME TEAM: Center Point-Urbana 24-2
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
15 Wooldridge, Allison. *  5-9    1-1    2-2    1  2  3   5  13  0  3  0  2  15
20 Hasleiet, Payton.... *  0-2    0-1    1-2    1  2  3   3   1  1  3  0  3  26
23 Sisk, LaMia......... *  1-7    0-3    1-2    0  5  5   3   3  1  1  0  0  27
25 Brecht, Olivia...... *  0-6    0-5    0-0    1  1  2   2   0  1  2  0  2  26
30 Wooldridge, Arika... *  7-14   0-4    6-6    1  6  7   3  20  0  2  0  3  31
22 Wilson, Madie.......    0-1    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  0  0  0   8
32 Boevers, Sydney.....    0-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  1  0  0  10
34 Fox, Callyn.........    1-2    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   0   2  0  0  0  0   6
40 Holtz, Claire.......    1-1    0-0    0-0    3  0  3   2   2  0  1  0  0  11
   TEAM................
   Totals..............   15-43   1-15  10-12   8 16 24  19  41  3 13  0 10 160

TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  7-19 36.8%   2nd Half:  8-24 33.3%   Game: 34.9%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-6  16.7%   2nd Half:  0-9   0.0%   Game:  6.7%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  5-7  71.4%   2nd Half:  5-5  100 %   Game: 83.3%    2


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Officials: Rich Collison, Chad Slagel, Jared Rahe
Technical fouls: Nevada-None. Center Point-Urbana-None.
Attendance:
Score by Periods                1st  2nd  3rd  4th   Total
Nevada........................   16    7   10   14  -   47
Center Point-Urbana...........    8   12   13    8  -   41
Fouled Out: CPU: #15 Wooldridge @ 1:15 (4th)

Points in the paint-NEVADA 28,CP-U 22. Points off turnovers-NEVADA 11,CP-U 5.
2nd chance points-NEVADA 10,CP-U 6. Fast break points-NEVADA 2,CP-U 0.
Bench points-NEVADA 2,CP-U 4. Score tied-4 times. Lead changed-3 times.
Last FG-NEVADA 4th-01:52, CP-U 4th-00:45.
Largest lead-NEVADA by 9 2nd-04:44, CP-U by 3 1st-07:55.

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