WATERTOWN — The rubber match went to the Jaguars.

Familiar foes Corsica-Stickney and White River collided for the third straight season, including last year’s buzzer-beating win for the Tigers in the Class B semifinals. The Jaguars won a regular-season meeting in the 2019-20 season and they avenged last year’s semifinal defeat at Thursday’s Class B state tournament.

And just like the previous two meetings, it wasn’t decided until the final moments. Thanks to a 16-4 fourth-quarter margin, Corsica-Stickney defeated White River 49-43 to secure a spot in Friday’s semifinals. 

“The funny thing is the girls are really close,” Corsica-Stickney coach Lorisa Broughton said. “They talk with each other a lot, but sometimes you find out when you are close with somebody you go out there and play tough. We figured it was going to be tough and it was.”

Avery Broughton powered the Jaguars (21-3) with 21 points and 11 rebounds. It was especially sweet for the all-state junior, who missed part of last season and the state tournament with an ACL injury. 

“It was really hard for me to watch on the bench last year,” said Broughton, Lorisa’s daughter. “But we all had that in the back of our head, that game last year and we weren't going to let that happen again.” 

White River's Maleighya Estes, left, and Corsica-Stickney's Avery Broughton go after a loose ball on Thursday in Watertown. White River's Kelsey Morrison is in the background. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

White River’s Maleighya Estes, who hit a game-winning shot in last year’s matchup, tossed in 22 points to pace the Tigers (18-4). 

Estes’ jumper to end the third quarter extended White River’s lead to 39-33 going into the final quarter. But the Jaguars cranked up the defensive pressure and Broughton evened the score at 41-41 with three minutes left. 

Broughton later found Morgan Clites for a breakaway layup, giving Corsica-Stickney its first lead (43-41) with 1:42 left. Corsica-Stickney’s late-game defensive pressure led to three crucial turnovers on the Tigers in the closing seconds. 

“In the first half, our turnovers were ridiculous,” Lorisa Broughton said. “We usually don’t turn the ball over like that. We have to have more ball pressure on it and get a little bit more turnovers and push the ball. Because we do that well. I think we did that better.”

After extending its lead to 45-41, Corsica-Stickney hit four free throws in the final minute to seal the win. The Jaguars finished 19 of 28 at the free-throw line for the game.

“We work on free throws a lot,” said Avery Broughton, who finished 11 of 14 at the free-throw line. “The past couple of games they haven’t been so great. So it was nice for them to fall in today.” 

In the early stages of the game, Corsica-Stickney couldn’t get many shots to fall. The Jaguars trailed 7-0 just two minutes into the game. But despite the slow start, Corsica-Stickney trailed just 10-9 after the first quarter and 25-19 at halftime. 

However, Lorisa Broughton never sensed any panic from the team. 

“I thought we were a little tight at halftime and in the locker room I told them to quit being scared,” Lorisa Broughton said. “I think our shots weren't going in and we had that a little bit in Gregory. So I said just go out there and attack. We had to be more physical. They were more physical than us.”

The Jaguars couldn’t make a dent in the third quarter, as both teams scored 14 points in the frame. But Corsica-Stickney saved its best for the final quarter and pulled away from the Tigers.

Estes finished 7 of 20 from the field, while she added five rebounds and four steals. Rhea Tucker added 10 points and four rebounds. Tana Bear Heels finished with eight points, while Kelsey Morrison added five points and four rebounds. 

White River will play Aberdeen Roncalli in Friday’s consolation semifinals. It's the rare matchup of two defending state champs playing in the state tournament. White River won last year’s Class B state championship, while Roncalli won last season’s Class A state title.

Clites and Rachel Gerlach added nine points apiece for the Jaguars. Casey Tolsma finished with five points and four rebounds. 

Up next, the Jaguars will face No. 8 seed Viborg-Hurley, which upset the Cavaliers in the opener. 

“They had a lot of effort and played hard,” Lorisa Broughton said. “I just told the girls now they could be a little bit of a cinderella team. So we have to be ready to play and probably play a little bit looser than we did today and hopefully we are ready to go.” 

It will also be Corsica-Stickney’s fourth-straight trip to the semifinals, but it is yet to reach the championship game. 

“We know that semifinal game really well and we are going to try to win that game and get into the championship,” Avery Broughton said.