In the Iowa Class 4A girls state basketball semifinal on Friday, the Dallas Center-Grimes Mustangs pulled off an astonishing comeback against the Norwalk Warriors, winning 47-42.
Norwalk had controlled much of the game, leading by six points with under a minute remaining. The scoreboard read 42-36 in Norwalk’s favor with about 40 seconds left.
Then sophomore Ava Smid took over in a jaw-dropping sequence. She scored a layup to cut the deficit to four. After a Norwalk turnover, Smid converted another layup on an inbounds play, making it 42-40.
Moments later, she stole the ensuing inbound pass and laid it in to tie the game at 42-42. Undeterred, she immediately stole the next inbound and scored again, drawing a foul for a three-point play opportunity that put DCG ahead 44-42.
Smid tallied eight points in roughly 19 seconds through relentless scoring and back-to-back steals on inbound passes. DCG closed on an 11-0 run, sealing the victory with free throws after a technical foul.
The Mustangs advance to the championship, while Norwalk’s Braylyn Birmingham finished with a game-high 26 points in defeat.
This frantic finish ranks among the wildest endings in high school girls’ basketball history.
