Mount Vernon's Liz Skotowski (20, left) guards Manson-NW Webster's Ashley Markert (21) in the first half of the Class 2A championship game at the girls' state basketball tournament Friday night. The Mustangs won, 59-56. (Liz Martin/The Gazette).

DES MOINES — The cameras clicked. The bulbs flashed.

The Mount Vernon Mustangs smiled. They swayed. They sang along with the late Freddie Mercury.

They are the champions, my friend.

Again.

Mount Vernon blazed in the fourth quarter and rallied past No. 2 Manson-Northwest Webster, 59-56, to win the Class 2A championship at the girls’ state basketball tournament last night at Wells Fargo Arena.

“The feeling is undescribable,” said Micah Wieditz, who provided a long-distance lift off the bench. “It feels like I’m in a dream right now.”

Yes, these are dreamy days for female athletes at Mount Vernon, the reigning state champion in three of four major sports (track, volleyball and basketball).

“These girls obviously don’t like to finish second, do they?” said Mustangs Coach Bob Kintzel.

Taylor Dicus moved from Florida during the summer. She joined a stableful of athletic Mustangs. And she put this team over the top.

Mount Vernon's Brianna Strong goes up for a shot against Manson-NW Webster's Lauren Twait. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Dicus connected on 10 of 11 shots from the field, recorded 22 points and 15 rebounds and was named the all-tournament captain.

“I didn’t expect to come in here and win a state championship,” she said. “We did it as a team, and that’s a great feeling.”

Liz Skotowski, who was saddled with the flu at the beginning of the week, added 16 points.

“I just had to tough it out,” said Skotowski, who joined Dicus on the all-tournament team. “I feel much better now.

“This is a dream come true.”

Wieditz tallied 15.

Mount Vernon (25-3) trailed, 40-32, with 1:42 left in the third quarter. But as they did in the first two rounds, the Mustangs prevailed late.

They pushed within two by the end of the quarter, then took their first lead of the game, 41-40, on Skotowski’s 3-pointer.

It was back and forth until the final minute.

Brianna Strong’s baseline drive tied it at 54-54, then Dicus converted on an offensive rebound to put the Mustangs in front, 56-54, with 1:20 to go.

Wieditz hit two free throws and Dicus added one to make it 59-54.

MNW (24-2) cut it to three on Amanda Bush’s basket with 12 seconds left, and the Cougars immediately got the ball back on a bad pass.

But the Mustangs defended the perimeter on the next set and forced a travel with 2.4 seconds to go.

Wieditz took the final inbounds pass and the Mustangs were champions.

Again.

Mount Vernon was 7-of-9 from the field in the fourth quarter.

Mika Rodewald scored 17 points for MNW.

The Cougars led the entire first half, by as much as eight points. Mount Vernon turned it over 17 times before halftime.

The Mustangs were unranked heading into the postseason. But they earned this title, beating No. 1 Cascade in the regional final and taking down the No. 2 club in the state final.

“They’re tall and athletic,” said MNW Coach Wade Wubben. “When they put had three big girls on the floor, they gave us all sorts of trouble.”

Photos by Liz Martin

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