A season of resurgence came to an end for the Norwalk girls basketball team Tuesday night in a Class 4A regional final loss at Council Bluffs Lewis Central. Despite multiple comeback attempts in the second half, the 9th-ranked Warriors were defeated by the 8th-ranked Titans, 53-49. The Region 8 final was heard live on 94.3 KNIA.

Lewis Central, which also defeated Norwalk during the regular season, improved to 19-4 and advanced to next week’s Girls State Basketball Tournament as the No. 6 seed. LC will face Sioux City Heelan in a 4A quarterfinal on Tuesday, February 27. Norwalk finishes their season at 18-5 overall after advancing to the program’s first regional final since 2008. The Warriors tripled their win total from last year’s 6-16 campaign.

First-year Norwalk head coach Joe Sigrist stated after the game that he was extremely proud of the entire team, including senior leader Anna Larson, for an outstanding season. “Lots to be proud of for everyone in this program,” he said. “We will be back strong next season.”

The Warriors held their final lead of the night at 7-6 in the first quarter. Lewis Central scored nine of the next 11 points and the margin yo-yoed up and down the rest of the way. The Titans took their largest lead at 37-25 late in the third quarter, but Norwalk pulled within 41-38 on Bailey Birmingham’s banked-in 3-pointer in the fourth. The Warriors later cut a nine-point deficit down to 51-48 but could not get over the hump.

Brooke Larsen led LC with 23 points and Sydney Thien had a huge game off the bench with 18. Both girls scored most of their points within seven feet of the basket.

Birmingham made three 3-pointers for Norwalk and capped an incredible junior season with 33 points, giving her 631 on the season.