FORT WAYNE – The Snider girls basketball team became a different team in the fourth quarter Saturday night against Northrop in the championship game of the Carroll Sectional.

The Panthers didn’t rely on outside shooting or free throws, instead dominating inside, ultimately using a closing 20-6 run to fashion a 62-48 victory.

“Our intensity level changed, and it was just us coming more together as a team,” said Snider senior Akilah Sims, an IUPUI recruit, who had a team-best 19 points. “We play like a team all the time. But we try to play harder when it comes down to crunch time like that.”

The Panthers will next face South Side (22-1) at the Kokomo Regional at 10 a.m. Saturday. The Archers won two previous meetings this season.

With the game tied at 42, Sims scored six of the next eight points in myriad ways. She had a jump shot, a spin through the lane and a power basket from underneath the rim. Wedged in the middle was a three-point play by freshman Deja Wimby.

“Akilah played like an Indiana All-Star should play and the way a Division I recruit should play,” Snider coach Ryan Gould said. “She really had it in her mind that she didn’t want to lose her last game in a sectional. That was a big difference for us offensively. She made some nice plays for us in the fourth quarter.”

Senior Kari Barnes had 16 points for Snider. Wimby scored 14. Junior Meredith Shipman had eight points.

Snider had control of the game early, going up 19-7 on a pair of Shipman free throws. But the Bruins wouldn’t go away.

“We had talked about it coming in, that (the Bruins’) size would give us some problems,” Gould said, “and they rebounded great and had a lot of offensive rebounds and put-backs. And their seniors hit some big threes. At halftime, we talked about needing to hold them to about 20 points in the second half and we were able to do that.”

Snider was up 29-28 at halftime, before outscoring the Bruins 33-20 in the second half.

“It got shaky (in the second quarter) but it’s like that sometimes,” Sims said. “Sometimes you have to stay positive, stay strong, stay in your defense and do everything that you know is right.”

For Snider (20-3), it was its second victory this season over Northrop (12-10). The Panthers won 72-57 on Jan. 6.

The Bruins were led by 14 points from Paige Wright. Alaina Schwarz and Aleah Swary both had 11 points. Quila Jackson had nine points.

“Northrop made a great run at us and made us readjust at halftime and talk about rebounding in the second half, and I thought our girls made a good adjustment and did a good job rebounding,” Gould said. “I thought Karrina Smith’s and Deja Wimby’s rebounding were a real key. We had Meredith and Akilah in foul trouble, and I thought those two young kids really stepped up and (also) played some great defense.”

jcohn@jg.net