By KLINT SPILLER

Hays Daily News

MANHATTAN -- In the Class 2A state championship game on Saturday, Hill City prep girls' basketball coach Linda Nighswonger said her team had its best performance in the tournament, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough.

The top-seeded Olpe Eagles (26-0) handed Hill City a 60-48 loss in Bramlage Coliseum.

"We came in and knew it was going to be a really hard game," junior guard Lexi Hardiek said. "They are a great team. Obviously, we came in and wanted to win, and we didn't. I felt like we stayed with them pretty well and did the best we could."

The Ringnecks (23-3) struggled to contain Olpe's two top scorers. Olpe's 6-foot1 junior forward Kathryn Flott and sophomore guard Kendyl McDougald combined for 50 points.

"(Flott) was one of the toughest posts we've played this year and probably one of the bigger posts we've played," Hill City senior forward Katelyn Davis said. "She was just everywhere. She always pinned you down, and it was difficult getting around her and stop her."

Flott made 14-of-21 shots and scored 30 points, while McDougald made 9-of-15 shots for 20 points.

"They are great players, and that is what great players do," Nighswonger said. "They step up when they have to."

Hill City shot predominantly from the 3-point line, making 11-of-30 from beyond the arc. The Ringnecks only had 46 total shots.

It was the Ringnecks' best 3-point shooting performance of the tournament, as they shot 3-of-20 and 4-of-16 from the perimeter in the first two games.

"We shot a lot better from the outside," Nighswonger said. "We had a lot more confidence. We didn't have people in our faces, and that made a big difference. It gave us a little bit of a cushion."

Hardiek posted a tournament-high 20 points. She made 6-of-18 from the 3-point line.

"If you don't win, it is never the best, because I like to think if you had your best performance, then you would have won," Hardiek said.

Sophomore point guard Kelsey Keith also reached double figures for the Ringnecks with 12 points. She shot 4-of-7 from the 3-point line. Junior Tayler Money led the team in rebounds with seven.

"I thought we shot a lot better," Nighswonger said. "Our defense was better. We had trouble keeping it out of Flott's hands, but other than that, I thought we did a great job of defending and did a better job on the boards."

Hill City did its best to keep it close in the first half.

The Ringnecks made seven 3-pointers, four by Hardiek.

However, the offensive machine of Olpe was rarely stopped as the Eagles scored 37 points in the first half and shot 17-of-28 from the field.

Hill City's prolific perimeter shooting kept Olpe's lead in single digits after the first quarter, going into the second trailing 18-14.

However, a 9-of-12 shooting performance in the second quarter for Olpe helped the Eagles take a 37-27 lead into halftime.

"(3-point shooting) has kind of been our bread and butter all year long," Nighswonger said. "It was nice to get a chance to do that. It made a difference. We just traded twos for threes for a little bit, but we couldn't keep it up."

Hill City fell into a cold streak in the third quarter, shooting 2-of-14 from the field and scoring five points. Meanwhile, Olpe extended the lead to 17.

In the fourth, Hill City went shot-for-shot with Olpe and narrowed the lead, but it wasn't enough.

"We could have done a lot of things different that I'm sure would have helped, but we have never seen a post that good this year," Hardiek said. "This game this year will make us a lot better if we face them next year in the championship. Then, hopefully, we will be able to stop (Flott)."