By RANDY GONZALES
With his Osborne prep girls' basketball team, first-year Bulldog coach John Boden doesn't know who is going to have the big game, but almost always someone does.
"One nice thing about this team, you don't know who is going to score in double figures, but two will score in double figures," Boden said.
In Saturday night's Class 2A sub-state title game, it was junior guard Jordyn Sturgeon who came up big. Sturgeon's layup at the buzzer lifted Osborne to a 51-49 win over Rick Hills, giving the Bulldogs a berth in this week's Class 2A State Championships in Manhattan. No. 6 seed Osborne (18-5) will play No. 3 seed Spearville (20-3) on Wednesday at 8:15 p.m. in Bramlage Coliseum.
Boden, who also coached the Kensington girls from 1996-01 and for two years at Agra-Eastern Heights, likes his team's draw.
"I think we couldn't get any better draw, got a heck of a draw," Boden said. "Feel we got a good draw in Spearville -- got a good chance to advance."
Spearville won the 1A state title in 1987 and 2A championships the next two years.
This year's Lancers have three players scoring in double figures, led by 6-foot junior forward Becca Hornung-heeke at 14 points per game.
Megan Stein, a 6-0 senior forward, averages 13.9 points and 5-11 sophomore center Elle Stein scores 10.6 points a night, with a team-high 8.6 rebounds.
Osborne's seniors are going to state for the third time in four years.
They took third as freshmen and fourth as sophomores.
"Our seniors just didn't want to be denied," Boden said.
Sturgeon leads Osborne in scoring at 11.6 points per game and also averages a team-high three steals. Senior center Emily Girard averages 9.7 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds.
Senior Paige Noel averages 7.6 points, senior Andrea Cady is at 7.3 points and senior Katie Wolters scores seven points a night.
Boden said there is one area of concern for him entering the season finale.
"Achilles' heel of this team is free throw shoring -- 48 percent," Boden said.
That aside, Boden thinks Osborne -- which won the 2000 and 2002 state titles -- can make some noise this week.
I wouldn't surprised if we went out and won a couple games, took home some hardware," Boden said.
