GREENSBORO Mallard Creek's girls' basketball team pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Mecklenburg County history Tuesday night at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center, and a player who had more than her share of bad luck hit two free throws to seal it.

Senior forward Somalia McKinney's shots with 2.4 seconds polished off Mallard Creek's 50-45 upset of nationally ranked Butler.

The Mavericks (27-4) ended Butler's 42-game win streak and prevented the reigning 4A champions from making history as the first Mecklenburg County team to repeat as 4A state champs - and the first to go unbeaten in 25 years.

Mallard Creek coach Clarence Johnson said it was the biggest upset since West Charlotte's boys upset nationally ranked Kinston and All-American Jerry Stackhouse in the 4A state championship game 20 years ago.

"Our game plan was to let (Butler All-American Cierra Burdick) have hers and stop the other four," said Johnson, who could only speak in a whisper after the game and kept crouching over and punching his right fist in the air. "We've got that defense, baby, and our plan was to use it."

Butler (30-1) shot 36.7 percent from the field and made 22 turnovers. Burdick had 28 points, 19 rebounds, four blocks, two assists and two steals, but no other Bulldog had more than four points. Take away Burdick's 10-for-21 shooting and Butler shot 8-for-28.

"We knew we could do it," said Mallard Creek guard Amber Neely. "We've got a better team. They only have one key player. All of our players are key players."

Nicole Graham led Mallard Creek with 12 points and three steals. But Butler had a chance late. Burdick's three-point play tied the game at 45 with 51.2 seconds left. Graham hit two free throws, moments later, for a 47-45 Mallard Creek lead.

Butler had three chances to tie, as Mallard Creek went 1-for-6 at the line on three possessions. The Bulldogs turned it over three straight times.

Finally, with 2.4 seconds left, McKinney walked to the line and said a prayer: "Lord, please, please let me make these free throws so we can seal the win."

In the past three years, McKinney has had three major surgeries on the same knee. She was determined to come back each time, and Tuesday she made the biggest shots in her school's brief four-year history.

"I didn't know what to think when the shots went down," she said. "I had mixed emotions. I missed half my junior year with the knee and injured it again last summer before my senior year. But I always thought 'I'm going to come back 10 times stronger.' And I did."

MALLARD CREEK 50 - Neely 8, Phillips 7, Nicole Graham 12, McKinney 8, Tillard 8, Tarver 7

BUTLER 45 - Worthy 2, Fisher-Davis 4, Cierra Burdick 28, Dunovant 3, Reed 2, Morgan 4, Williams 2