NORMAL — Avery Tibbs produced an award-winning final act.
The Washington High School senior once again shined brightest on the biggest stage, coming up clutch to help beat Chatham Glenwood, 60-45, for the Class 3A state championship on Saturday. This gave the top-ranked Panthers (35-2) their first state title in program history.
Tibbs’ mastery was on display in a two-minute clip of the fourth quarter.
In that mere 120-second span, the all-state guard ballooned a five-point lead into a near game-sealing 54-38 advantage. She hit a trio of 3-pointers and sandwiched a layup in there for good measure.
With each make, the large contingent of Washington roared louder and louder. All the soft-spoken Tibbs could do was grin.
“It’s a momentum swinger,” Tibbs said of her play, “and I think in that aspect my teammates were finding me. In the huddle, we’re very supportive of each other, they said, ‘She hit one. Hit her another time.’
“I really couldn’t do it without my teammates. They weren’t self-created shots. … It’s nothing I did. It was my small part to win this game. I was just glad to do it with these girls.”
Washington appeared headed to a runaway victory just 50 seconds into the third quarter. Dani Guedet’s rebound basket pushed the lead to 36-22, continuing the momentum from a Becca McDougall (10 points, four rebounds, five assists) three-point to end the first half.
What Glenwood did next wasn’t necessarily unexpected, but it definitely caught Washington off-guard. The No. 6-ranked Titans (30-5) mounted a push of their own, putting together an 11-1 push to pull within 37-33.
Three consecutive baskets from all-stater Alexis Neumann (16 points, six rebounds) and a three-point play by Ava Bobb (13 points) were a big chunk of Glenwood’s comeback.
“We talked about it in the locker room before (the game),” said Glenwood coach Alyssa Riley, who led her team to a 2024 Class 3A state runner-up finish, ” ‘You come in as underdog just like you did two years ago.’ That’s the best feeling.
“I want to come into every game as an underdog. Everybody overlooks you. You play loose. You got nothing to lose.”
However, Kate McDougall (seven points, two rebounds, four assists, two steals) had other ideas for Washington. The freshman starting point guard played relaxed and scored on a streak to the basket. She then knocked down a pair of freebies to setup Tibbs’ prep career curtain call.
The McDougall sisters played perfectly off each other with Kate finding Becca twice for easy layups.
“This is a one in a lifetime chance,” Becca McDougall said of playing with her little sister. “I probably won’t ever play with her again, so to get a state championship with her … it’s an opportunity that most people don’t get.”
Added Kate McDougall, “This is really very emotional for me and to (win a state championship) with my sister is just something I’ll never forget.”
Washington, which took third in Class 3A last season, forced 13 turnovers — eight by steal — and held Glenwood to 35 percent (14-for-40) shooting. The Titans, however, won the rebounding battle, 28-18.
This was Washington’s first state title game appearance since finishing second at the 1977 inaugural girls state tournament.
“I’m having a hard time breathing, to be honest, I’m so excited,” Washington coach Kim Barth said. “I can’t think of a better group of kids to be sitting around me. They are amazing humans.
“We came alive and found a way (to win).”
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: ‘A momentum swinger’: All-star leads Washington to girls basketball title
Reporting by Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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