DES MOINES - Kevin Clipperton was already ailing and on crutches, thanks to a recent ankle injury.

Now, after Monday, his heart may need monitoring.

Everyone in attendance seemed to suffer through heart palpitations Monday, as fifth-ranked North Butler survived by the skin of its teeth, 40-39, over unranked Coon Rapids-Bayard.

"You know, the blood pressure is probably up there," Clipperton quipped, assessing his health following the white-knuckle win.

"I'm just excited for our kids to be able to move on one more night."

North Butler (22-1), making its fourth state appearance in five seasons, knew it was in for a dogfight early, judging by Coon Rapids-Bayard's relentless intensity. Seven minutes in, for instance, 5-foot-3 Crusader senior Heidi Esdohr ripped away an offensive rebound down low and scored on a put-back in traffic.

"She (Esdohr) was gonna will her team to a victory," said Clipperton. "And she just about did."

"You've gotta give them credit," he added. "They got into our shorts and got after us."

North Butler got 10 points apiece from guards Bobbi Boomgarden and Carly Jacobs, but needed CR-B to shoot 21.4 percent in the second half to narrowly escape.

The Crusaders, of Carroll county in west-central Iowa, played with purpose early, surging to a 25-15 lead after nearly 12 minutes.

"In the first quarter, Coach (Clipperton) was really mad," Boomgarden noted.

"Time after time we stood and watched while they were aggressive," North Butler's Clipperton explained. "Our kids think too much instead of just playing the game, which hurts us."

The Bearcats cranked up their intensity in the second half, however, holding CR-B without a point for roughly 11 1/2 minutes.

Then, when North Butler guard Jamie Jacobs splashed in a 3-pointer with three minutes, 10 seconds remaining, she handed her team a 40-31 lead.

"I didn't even think; I just caught the ball and that was my reaction: shoot it, because I was wide open," Jacobs recalled afterward.

The Crusaders (20-6) answered with a last-gasp, 8-0 run, capped when Esdohr - all 5-foot-3 of her - slithered through the lane for a lay-up with barely one minute to go. But CR-B missed its last legitimate field goal attempt when leading scorer Lindsey Reis missed the mark on a 16-footer from the wing, helping Clipperton and company hold on.

The young Bearcats, who relied on the likes of current Northern Iowa Panther Indy Uhlenhopp so often in recent state tournaments, admitted nerves got the best of them early Monday.

"You could see it in their eyes a little bit," Clipperton acknowledged. "But we talked about it, that the kids have got to perform. And they did. We did enough to survive and move on."

TOURNEY TIDBITS: North Butler's next opponent, defending state champion Springville, won 44-36 over Martensdale-St. Mary's Monday. Six-foot center Katie Eiben led the Orioles (25-1), scoring 15 points. … North Butler's record in state tournament games is now 8-1. The Bearcats, who won state titles in 2006 and 2007, have won seven straight, all told, in the state tournament. … North Butler, which yields just 41.2 points per game, limited Coon-Rapids Bayard to just four points in the first 13 minutes of Monday's second half.

Contact Kelly Beaton at (319) 291-1456 or kelly.beaton@wcfcourier.com

North Butler Mn FG-A FT-A Rb As PF TP

C. Jacobs 29 2-7 6-8 4 0 3 10

J. Jacobs 25 2-3 0-1 4 1 2 5

Boomgarden 31 4-11 0-0 5 3 2 10

Shroeder 30 3-8 0-0 1 1 0 6

Dolan 27 2-7 2-3 7 1 0 6

Majewski 11 1-1 0-0 0 2 1 3

Heuer 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0

Lindell 5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0

Team 1

Totals 160 14-38 8-12 22 8 10 40

CR-Bayard Mn FG-A FT-A Rb As PF TP

Reis 32 3-14 0-0 5 1 1 6

Halverson 32 5-8 0-0 4 0 4 10

Esdohr 32 2-5 6-8 8 4 3 10

Hilgenberg 22 1-4 0-0 5 0 4 2

Dentlinger 32 4-7 3-4 6 0 2 11

Willenborg 10 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0

Team 4

Totals 160 15-40 9-12 32 5 15 39

North Butler 11 13 9 7 - 40

CR-B 15 12 4 8 - 39

3-point goals - North Butler 4-14 (C. Jacobs 0-1, J. Jacobs 1-1, Boomgarden 2-8, Schroeder 0-3, Majewski 1-1); CR-B 0-4 (Reis 0-2, Halverson 0-1, Esdohr 0-1). Turnovers - North Butler 16 (C. Jacobs 6); CR-B 16 (Halverson 8). Blocks - North Butler 1 (Schroeder); CR-B 1 (Halverson). Steals - North Butler 5 (C. Jacobs 2).

Officials - Bice, Branderhorst, Glancy.