Quinn’s Style Can’t Be Cramped

SACRAMENTO —  She limped up the stairs to the dais and took a well-deserved seat.

The muscle cramp in Noelle Quinn’s left leg had not faded at the postgame news conference, but neither did the glow of winning a third consecutive state Division III girls’ basketball championship.

Quinn had 20 points, 13 rebounds and six assists Saturday for Torrance Bishop Montgomery High in a 60-55 victory over Orinda Miramonte at Arco Arena.

Nykia Peace scored 24 points and the Knights became the fourth girls’ team in state history to win three consecutive titles.

Quinn, a 6-foot junior who plays guard and forward, started cramping after the game, but was flawless during it, scoring, rebounding and passing with precision.

“She reminds me of Magic Johnson,” Miramonte Coach Darrell Hirashima said. “She plays that multi-positional position. She can do it all.”

Bishop Montgomery led by one, 51-50, but made nine of 10 free throws in the final 1:36 to seal the deal, perhaps a nod to the importance of experience.

Bishop Montgomery (30-5) was playing in its fifth state championship game in seven seasons; Miramonte (29-4) was playing in its first state championship game.

“I think the experience of being here before helped us with that,” Coach Lisa Cooper said.

Bishop Montgomery had only made six of 15 free throws up to that point.

Miramonte trailed after three quarters, 41-40, but could not find another scoring outlet besides Tori Markey, who had a career-high 28 points.

Markey, who signed with Santa Clara, had 10 points in the fourth quarter and was the only Orinda player to score in the quarter until she fouled out with 54 seconds left.

Quinn will return for Bishop Montgomery in pursuit of a fourth championship. “It’s a goal for me to get back here [to the championship] next season,” she said.