RAPID CITY – For a team loaded with talent, it was stars being stars for the Sioux Falls O’Gorman Knights in the Class AA girls state basketball title game Saturday night at The Summit Arena.

In particular, a pair of underclassmen – sophomore Ruby Moore and junior Sydney Terveen – provided the spark the Knights needed to come back from double figures in the final minutes to stop Brandon Valley 47-46 in a wild title game.

Terveen scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and Moore came up huge in the final minute with a basket and a 3-pointer that lifted O’Gorman to its second straight title and 50th straight victory.

Moore had a good game for most of the first three and one-half quarters, but a better one in the final seconds.

First she hits a 3-pointer to put the Knights within one point at 46-45 with 44 seconds remaining. On the next possession on the full-court press, she gets a steal and hits a short jump shot to give O’Gorman the eventual game-winner.

“That was a big-time player making big plays when the lights were shining their brightest,” O’Gorman head coach Kent Kolsrud said of Moore. “For her to stop and pop like that and make that shot, then have the basketball IQ to be in the right position to go make a steal and then make a basket with little time left.”

Trailing by as much as 12 just a few minutes prior, Moore said they were in a situation where they had to do anything to score.

“Any shot you could get was really a green light,” she said. “I saw the shots I practiced over and over again and it was just time to shoot them. Before that, everyone did their part. Terveen basically kept us in the game. All of our players kept us in the game and have the heart to keep going.”

Moore cut in front of a Brandon Valley player on the press for the steal and basket that put her team in the lead for the first time since 10-7.

“I saw that we had some height. The point of those traps is to go a little more up so you have time to get there. I saw the ball go up and I timed it a little bit,” Moore said of her late-game steal.

Moore said that scoring the game-winner was “awesome,” but she said at the end of the day, those shots are not why she is celebrating.

“I'm celebrating a win with my team that I've played with all year,” said Moore. “We've gone through ups and downs, so I'm just glad I can celebrate with my team.”

Terveen led all scorers with 21 points and nine of those brought the Knights back to just two down at 44-42. She hit three 2-point baskets and one big 3-pointer, many of those coming off of turnovers.

“Another big-time player making plays,” said Kolsrud of Terveen. “We really needed them. She is just a battler. She’s had a great basketball season for us. We don’t win a game like that if Ruby doesn’t make those plays and Syd doesn’t make those plays.”

Terveen said she was only doing her part in bringing the Knights back.

“I saw we were down by what seemed like a decent amount,” she said. “I wanted to get back in it, so I just started trying to do what I could to get back into the game. I just started shooting a lot of shots.”

Moore said Terveen is a huge motivational factor for her and the team.

“Yeah, Sydney's a huge part of our team and whenever I'm having trouble hitting my shots or whatever, I know, Sydney’s going to have the whole team's back and continue to drive and draw fouls,” Moore said.

The Knights had 14 steals in the contest, six by Moore and three from Terveen, forcing 22 Brandon Valley turnovers. In the first two games, that suffocating press was spot on early in wins over Sioux Falls Jefferson and Rapid City Stevens.

They might have saved the best for last against Brandon Valley.

“We got really after it, so it was good. We caused some turnovers to finish out the game,” said Terveen. “Seeing that we were down and not wanting to lose gave us that motivation to push and get those turnovers, which is something that helps us to win.”

For two underclassmen that enjoyed an unbeaten record last season, it is double the fun with another unbeaten season and state championship.

“I mean, two years in a row of winning and keeping a streak with my team, it's really awesome,” said Moore. “I know that coming into this year after last year being undefeated, we were still hungry. We still wanted it more, and those streaks don't keep us content. We always want to stay hungry.”

Added Terveen:  “Finishing up the season undefeated is a really cool experience.”