Engadine’s Aubrey Simmons, left, takes a shot beneath the basket against Forest Park’s Becky Kolenda on Tuesday night at Lakeview Memorial Gym in Negaunee. (Journal photo by Jess Makela)

NEGAUNEE — For the first time in 11 years, the Engadine Eagles are headed to Michigan State University for the Class D semifinals in girls basketball.

The Eagles held off a late comeback from Forest Park in their quarterfinal matchup Tuesday night at Negaunee’s Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium to clinch a 44-41 victory.

Senior Olivia Vaughn hit a pair of free throws to give Engadine a three-point lead in the last few seconds, then got a defensive stop from her teammates that was enough to run the clock out.

“It’s a lot to take in,” Vaughn said. “I can’t put it into words. The community has been behind us the whole season, and for all of us to win this game is incredible.”

After a back-and-forth first quarter, the eastern Upper Peninsula Eagles put together a 10-0 run from late in the first quarter through the beginning of the second to take a 15-8 lead.

The Lady Trojans from the west responded with an 8-2 run of their own in the closing minutes of the second quarter, pulling within 21-20.

But in the final seconds, Engadine made two late baskets, topped off by a layup from Sophia Vaughn at the buzzer, to open up a 25-20 lead and gain clear momentum heading into the locker room.

The Eagles kept pushing to open the second half, putting together an 11-2 run with all of Engadine’s points coming from Sophia Vaughn and Aubrey Simmons in that stretch to build a 36-22 advantage.

Engadine head coach Roger French said Simmons, who scored 12 points on the night, was the X-factor in his team’s success.

“Simmons was outstanding and tough as nails,” French said. “We felt we could go inside to her, and we probably didn’t even go to her enough, but she kept finding ways to make it work out.”

Trailing 36-25 to start the final period, Forest Park made a late push to make it a single basket game, outscoring the Eagles 16-8 for the entire quarter and putting the pressure on Olivia Vaughn at the free throw line.

“I was nervous, but I trusted my team,” Olivia Vaughn said. “I knew my teammates would find a way to finish it out.

“I play with the best group of girls out there.”

Forest Park head coach Jackie Giuliani said her team’s comeback was too little, too late.

“We couldn’t find our flow until the fourth quarter,” Giuliani said. “Engadine was strong inside, and we were on our heels on offense.

“We waited until the fourth quarter to really look to score, and you can’t do that in the quarterfinals.”

Olivia Vaughn led Engadine scorers with 13 points, while Abby Nylund and Hannah Cross paced Forest Park with 14 points each.

The Eagles (19-5) play Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (17-9) at 6 p.m. Thursday in Lansing, with a berth in the state championship game on the line.

“We take one game and one quarter at a time,” French said. “As of right now, we don’t know much about (Seminary). We have our homework to do.”

Ray Bressette can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 251. His email address is rbressette@miningjournal.net.