By ANDY ROGERS

Journal Sports Editor

MANKATO -- Blue Earth Area's Shannon Schonrock had 36 points, but it was Lauran Weness' shot that counted the most.

With 12 second left, Weness made a put-back jumper to lift BEA over Minnesota Valley Lutheran 55-54 in the Section 2-2A girls basketball championship game at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

In a game where the lead exchanged side countless times, BEA was ahead when the time ran out. MVL did gained possession of the ball at the, but couldn't regain the lead.

"They just came out and stole a couple balls made a couple shots, and we didn't have an answer," MVL coach Dave Biedenbender said. "We kept it close and they took it away at the end. We played our hearts out, but I guess we couldn't quite get the win."

Jessica Merseth led MVL with 20 points and nine rebounds. She also five assists. Danielle Kramer grabbed six rebounds and made a key basket in the final quarter. Emily Buck put up 12 points. Leah Morgan had six assists.

MVL out rebounded BEA 24-20.

"We knew that we weren't going to be able to give them any extra shots if we wanted to win," Biedenbender said.

MVL jumped out to an early 14-4 lead on BEA. But two threes by Schonrock put BEA right back in the race.

"We really felt we could win the game especially early," Biedenbender said. "But you can't hold Schonrock down forever."

MVL got some of the lead back to go up 20-12 after the first quarter, with BEA's Schonrock's scoring all the points for her team.

"We just tried to cover her the best we could, but it didn't work. We talked about doing a few different things (to try and stop her)," Biedenbender said. "We toyed with a few things, but we felt that would take us out of the flow of what we do and make us not be able to cover the rest of their players."

It was MVL vs. Schonrock in the first half. She scored all the points for BEA until Danica Tvedten shot a jumper with 6 minutes left in the half.

BEA tied the game with 21 each with 4:38 left in the half, but MVL regained a tight lead at 31-30 at the halftime.

In a game that would go down to the wire, the game stayed on the wire in the third with the two teams exchanging leads numerous times.

Entering the fourth quarter, and with both teams at 42, MVL had the momentum after a last-second three by Rachel Olson.

After an exchange of leads, MVL jumped out 50-47 on a pair of Merseth free throws and a jumper.

Schonrock and MVL's Angela Unke exchanged points as MVL held a 52-49 lead.

But BEA took the lead on a put-back layup by Angie Becker and a huge steal by Beth Fuchs who made a lay-up as BEA took the lead 53-52 with 1:11 remaining.

"They had some efforts from some people we probably didn't count on," Biedenbender said. "(Fuchs) played very well. The last one came from (Weness). That thing klanks out of there we're looking at a one point win, and then we're happy."

MVL's Danielle Kramer regained the lead with a jump shot. But BEA drove down the court as Weness made the game winning shot with seconds left.

"I though we did about as well as we could do," Biedenbender said. "It'd be nice to have one more possession."

MVL edged by BEA in a heartbreaker