Before last year, no school from Sioux City had even won a game at the girls state basketball tournament.

Now, the city has consecutive state champions.

No. 3 Sioux City Bishop Heelan got big games from its big three of Millie Niggeling, Carli Tritz and Michelle Lund and beat top-ranked Pella 54-51 Saturday night to win the Class 3A championship.

The Crusaders' title comes after Sioux City North won the 4A crown last year.

That game was just what fans should expect from two highly ranked teams -- well played and down the wire. Heelan (25-2) wasn't assured of the victory until Pella missed two 3-point shots just before the buzzer.

Tritz, a sophomore who helped Heelan win the 3A volleyball title last fall, led the Crusaders with 19 points, shooting 7-for-11 from the field and making all five of her free throws. She also handed out five assists and made two steals.

Niggeling, also a sophomore, scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Lund, a senior who'll play at Bradley next season, added 16 points and went 4-for-5 from 3-point range.

Brooke Gritters led Pella with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Jenny Dorman added 13 for the Dutch (25-2), who led by as many as six in the first half and were up 35-30 midway through the third quarter.

Heelan pulled into a tie at 39 by the end of the quarter, then went ahead to stay when Lund hit two long 3-pointers from the left wing at the start of the fourth quarter. The Crusaders then had to fend off repeated challenges from the Dutch the rest of the way.

With Heelan leading 52-51, Pella had a chance to take the lead when Gritters was fouled. She missed the front of a 1-and-1, however, and Niggeling sank a pair for Heelan to make it a three-point game with 12.1 seconds left.

Pella rushed the ball up the court and Dorman missed a 3-point shot from the right side. Isabel Metcalf rebounded for the Dutch and got the ball to Gritters on the left wing. Her 3-point shot bounced off the rim at the buzzer and Heelan had its title.

Niggeling was voted captain of the all-tournament team. She was joined on the unit by Lund, Dorman, Pella's Halley Brillhart, Ballard's Amanda Zimmerman and Marion's Morgan Paige.