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AFNORTH's Sara Sawyer and SHAPE's Teresa Muldoon battle for a loose ball Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win.

AFNORTH's Sara Sawyer and SHAPE's Teresa Muldoon battle for a loose ball Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)

AFNORTH's Sara Sawyer and SHAPE's Teresa Muldoon battle for a loose ball Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win.

AFNORTH's Sara Sawyer and SHAPE's Teresa Muldoon battle for a loose ball Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)

AFNORTH's Sara Sawyer grabs a rebound and then prepares for a shot Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win.

AFNORTH's Sara Sawyer grabs a rebound and then prepares for a shot Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)

SHAPE's Teresa Muldoon tries to keep the ball from AFNORTH defender Rylee McKinney Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win.

SHAPE's Teresa Muldoon tries to keep the ball from AFNORTH defender Rylee McKinney Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)

AFNORTH's Jasmine Doll brings the ball down court as SHAPE's Kearstin Wainwright defends Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win.

AFNORTH's Jasmine Doll brings the ball down court as SHAPE's Kearstin Wainwright defends Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)

SHAPE's Eugina Rhett dribbles around AFNORTH defender Rylee McKinney Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win. Rhett led her team in scoring with 11 points.

SHAPE's Eugina Rhett dribbles around AFNORTH defender Rylee McKinney Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win. Rhett led her team in scoring with 11 points. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)

SHAPE's Teresa Muldoon grabs a rebound as AFNORTH's Taylor Bonenclark defends Saturday in the Division II championship in which the Spartans defeated the Lions 26-21.

SHAPE's Teresa Muldoon grabs a rebound as AFNORTH's Taylor Bonenclark defends Saturday in the Division II championship in which the Spartans defeated the Lions 26-21. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)

SHAPE's Eugina Rhett dribbles between the AFNORTH defense Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win. Rhett led her team in scoring with 11 points.

SHAPE's Eugina Rhett dribbles between the AFNORTH defense Saturday during the Division II championship. SHAPE captured the title with a 26-21 win. Rhett led her team in scoring with 11 points. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)

WIESBADEN, Germany - It was a rubber match with title implications.

Having each won a game against each other during the regular season, SHAPE and AFNORTH came into Saturday’s Division II girls championship game with a good idea of their opponent.

The third-seeded Lions were the only team to topple the top-seeded Spartans this year. But SHAPE sophomore Eugina Rhett and her game-high 11 points ensured that it wouldn’t happen again as SHAPE rallied in the final period to outlast AFNORTH, 26-21.

Going into halftime trailing by seven, the Lady Lions roared back, scoring 12 unanswered points during the third period, opening up a five-point lead with under two minutes left in the period.

That’s when a kick changed everything.

AFNORTH sophomore Rylee McKinney and SHAPE junior Jamie Gamboa tangled up and the referee called a jump ball. A frustrated McKinney sent a kick to the groin of Gamboa and was whistled for a technical foul.

A pair of free throws by Rhett ended the Lady Spartans’ scoring drought and provided a visible spark to a team desperate for some points.

“We knew we had to start it up right now, our energy started hyping up,” said Gamboa, who finished with six points.

SHAPE reclaimed the lead early in the fourth quarter on a Rhett jumper and the Lady Spartans intensified the pressure on AFNORTH, forcing turnovers and keeping the Lady Lions away from the paint.

A pair of Rhett shots from the charity stripe with 17 seconds left made it a two-possession game, effectively sealing the victory.

“We came here to win, it feels amazing,” Rhett said.

Her junior teammate said the win was for four players on the team who wouldn’t be suiting up again.

“We really did it for our seniors this year,” Gamboa said.

AFNORTH junior Cherry Carnes was the high scorer for the Lady Lions, finishing with five. Four different AFNORTH players scored four.

SHAPE coach Dorothea Thompson, who spent much of the game encouraging her players to take better shots and to box out, said she told her team they were champions at the beginning of the year, no matter their win or loss record.

With Saturday’s result, it’s more than a feel good cliché.

“Never stop fighting until the end, and that’s what happened,” Thompson said.

pattonm@estripes.osd.mil

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