RAPID CITY - The Red Cloud Lady Crusaders stopped St. Thomas More for the second straight year in the girls' Region 8A championship basketball game, topping the Cavaliers 53-44 at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

"This is real good to get to state, real good to get to state," Red Cloud head coach Jerome LeBeaux said. "But these girls went last year. I said to enjoy this one, it feels good and this is an accomplishment, but we've got three more games to play.

"Last year, they went to state. This year, I'm hoping I can take them a little farther."

The Crusaders hit five 3-pointers in the third quarter to blow the game open, taking a 46-28 lead into the fourth quarter. Ida Clarke, Marque Lunderman, and Shaina Clifford each hit one triple in the third quarter and Desirae Blacksmith knocked down two.

"That third quarter was huge," LeBeaux said. "When we shoot like that, we can play with anybody."

The Cavaliers went on a 12-0 run over the first four minutes of the fourth quarter as Caitlin Duffy and Morgan Pearson scored all 12 of More's points in that spurt, to close the deficit to 46-40 with 3:37 to play.

But Red Cloud's Clarke stole the ball on More's next possession and finished with a lay-up to push the lead back to eight before Duffy hit a 3-pointer to make it 48-43 with 2:09 remaining in the game. That was as close as the Cavaliers would get the rest of the night.

Once again, Lunderman, a junior, had a great game for Red Cloud, despite constant pressure and attention from the More defense. She led the Crusaders with 22 points, but it was the shot-making of Lunderman's teammates in the third quarter that really did the Cavaliers in. Clarke scored nine points and Clifford and Blacksmith added seven apiece for the Crusaders.

"I told the girls that most teams are doing everything they can to take Marque out of the game and not paying any attention to the rest of you," LeBeaux said.

"What they're saying is that the rest of you girls aren't very good. Well, I told them they needed to step up and show them they're wrong, and tonight they did."

Duffy, an eighth-grader, paced the Cavaliers (17-6) with 15 points, all of which came in the game's final nine minutes. Pearson, a senior, added 12 for More.

The Crusaders (17-6) head to Watertown for the Class A girls' basketball tournament beginning next Thursday.