With just over three minutes left in the Class 4A Sectional 11 championship game, Pike coach Keith Hollins called timeout with his team facing an eight-point deficit to Franklin Central.

The game had seen wild momentum swings and Hollins was hoping for one more for his home-standing Red Devils.

“I told the girls ‘this is our court and to not let anyone take this from you. You have three minutes and this is what you’ve worked for all year.’”

Central Indiana scores, stats: Indiana high school girls basketball sectionals

What Hollins said resonated as Pike rallied with an 11-2 run, capped by a jumper by sophomore Komari Booker with :35 left that gave the Red Devils a 61-60 win.

As is typical of contests best described as vintage tournament basketball, Booker’s basket hardly ended the drama. In those final 35 seconds, both teams missed a pair of free throws, while Pike committed a turnover with six seconds left that gave the Flashes one last opportunity.

That opportunity came up short as FC’s Lily Graves missed a long 3-point shot as the buzzer sounded.

“I’d take that look any day of the week,” Franklin Central coach Vince Cerbone said of the last shot. “It wasn’t that far off. I think both teams showed a lot of mental toughness and that’s how tournament basketball is.”

It proved to be that way all evening.

Pike led, 18-13, after one quarter and stretched its lead to 26-18 after consecutive 3-pointers by Saniya Smith and Morgan Crowe with 5:46 left before halftime.

The Flashes (15-9) came back and finished the half with a 12-1 run to take a 32-29 lead into the break and it appeared they would take command after building a lead as large as 52-43 early in the fourth quarter.

Franklin Central seized control behind the play of freshman Payton DuVall, who led all scorers with 22 points. Her three-point play with 7:21 left gave her team that nine-point lead and the Flashes still led, 58-50, after DuVall hit what proved to be her team’s final field goal with 4:20 remaining.

A minute later, Hollins called his fateful timeout.

Booker began the decisive spurt with two free throws, followed by a Smith basket and a lay-up by Marley Jeffers cut the lead to 58-56 with 2:28 left.

DuVall then hit two free throws — FC’s final points — with 1:54 left.

On Pike’s next possession, Smith had a shot blocked and it bounced to teammate Jazlyn Miller, who canned her only three points of the game to cut the FC lead to 60-59.

The Flashes couldn’t reclaim the lead, setting up Booker’s decisive shot.

“It wasn’t a play, the ball just ended up in my hands,” Booker said. “I believed in myself, and I just shot it.”

The victory gives Pike (12-14) its first sectional title since 2018. It’s the ninth in program history, with five coming in the past 11 seasons. The Red Devils move on to the Decatur Central regional, where they’ll meet Plainfield.

For Franklin Central it’s a bitter loss that marks the second-straight year the Flashes have lost in the sectional final.

“It was a great season for us and we battled all weekend,” Cerbone said. "Tonight was a game of runs and Pike just got the last one.”

PIKE 61, FRANKLIN CENTRAL 60

FRANKLIN CENTRAL (60): Carys Wilson 2 4-4 8; Ashlee Baker 3 0-0 8; Lily Graves 1 1-2 4; Riley Huotari 2 0-2 4; Aniya Doughty 4 0-0 10; Aubrey Irwin 0 1-2 1; Emma McVey 1 0-0 3; Payton DuVall 7 8-10 22. TOTALS: 20 14-18 60.

PIKE (61): Deniyah Warren 1 0-0 3; Saniya Smith 4 7-10 16; Komari Booker 2 2-2 6; Korinne Nickolson 0 2-4 2; Morgan Crowe 6 1-3 16; Jazlyn Miller 1 0-0 3; Marley Jeffers3 1-3 7; Alexis Warren 4 0-0 8. TOTALS: 21 13-22 61

Franklin Central 13           19           17           11 -- 60

Pike        18           11           14           18 -- 61

Three-point baskets: Franklin Central 6 (Baker 2, Graves, Doughty 2, McVey), Pike 6 (D. Warren, Crowe 3, Smith, Miller); Total fouls: Franklin Central 18, Pike 23; Records: Pike 12-14; Franklin Central finishes 15-9.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls basketball sectional: Pike beats Franklin Central