NIOBRARA — Up six with under three minutes to play, Elgin Public-Pope John held off Niobrara-Verdigre down the stretch to win 51 to 49.
The Wolfpack girls found a way to win as senior Ashlynne Charf scored 17 of her 25 points in the second half when the team needed them the most.
EPPJ began the fourth quarter all knotted up at 36-all after the Cougars’ Josilyn Miller hit a trey buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter.
Over the first four minutes of the final quarter, EPPJ outscored the Cougars 10 to 4. Charf had six points in a row between baskets from Brenna Martinsen and Kate Furstenau.
Two more times the Wolfpack would answer Cougar baskets with their own at the other end of the court. Keyera Eisenhauer gave EPPJ a 50 to 44 lead with 2:30 left in the game.
The Cougars answered with a two-pointer from Allison Sucha and a trey from Summer Vesely to pull within one point, 50 to 49.
Then, with just seconds left on the clock, Charf made the first of two free throws for a 51 to 49 lead.
