By RANDY GONZALES

rgonzales@dailynews.net

The Wilson prep girls' basketball team struggled offensively in Friday's Class 1A sub-state semifinals, yet found a way to win.

Freshman point guard Karlie Steinle was 0-for-9 from the floor and made just 1-of-5 free throws in the Dragons' 25-17 win over Thunder Ridge.

In Saturday night's sub-state title game at Felten gym, Steinle made up for her off night, scoring 22 points to help lead Wilson (17-8) to a 42-38 win over Weskan (22-3).

Wilson advances to this week's Class 1A state tournament at Gross Memorial Coliseum.

Weskan had to foul late in Saturday's game, and Steinle swished 7-of-8 free throws in the final 3:32 to hold off the Coyotes.

"She's been doing that all year," Wilson co-coach Rod Seehafer said. "She's our leading scorer."

Seehafer figured Weskan's star senior, forward Payton Walker, would get her points regardless, so he had his players concentrate on shutting down the rest of the Coyotes. Walker, who scored 24 in a semifinal win over Wheatland-Grinnell, scored 19 on Saturday and grabbed nine rebounds, but no other Coyote scored in double figures.

"She's a good player," Seehafer said. "We knew we couldn't stop her, too good of a player."

Wilson jumped out to a 12-5 lead after the first quarter, but Walker scored seven of Weskan's nine points in the second quarter to get the Coyotes within 17-14 at halftime.

Weskan tied it at 18 in the third quarter, but Wilson outscored the Coyotes 10-5 the rest of the period to lead 28-23 entering the fourth quarter.

The Coyotes again tied it in the final period, at 35-35 on a 3-pointer by Walker with 4:12 left in the game. But Steinle made her free throws down the stretch while Weskan shot 2-of-7 from the line in the fourth quarter.

Weskan trailed 36-35 when sophomore Jori Mote was fouled with 2:14 remaining. Mote missed her first free throw, and on her second miss, junior center Hillary McKinney got the rebound but missed a pair of follow shots under the hoop that would have given Weskan its first lead of the game.

Wilson made sure it got the ball in Steinle's hands from there,. She made six straight free throws in the final 1:09 to send Wilson to state for the fourth time in school history.

Wilson 42, Weskan 38

Wilson (17-8) 12 5 11 14 -- 42

Weskan (22-3) 5 9 9 15 -- 38

Wilson -- Dlabal 2 0-0 4, Karlie Steinle 4 14-16 22, M. Zelenka 3 0-0 9, Schoenhofer 3 0-1 6, Lanter 0 1-2 1.

Weskan -- Mote 3 3-10 9, McKinney 3 2-4 8, Rehfeld 1 0-0 2, Payton Walker 8 0-0 19.