BLACKFOOT — Snake River set a back screen and Josee Steadman popped free at the 3-point line.

If the American Falls Beavers had done their homework, that sight would have sent all five defenders on the court rushing at Steadman screaming with their arms in the air — anything to disrupt the Snake River sharpshooter, especially given how much time was left in the third quarter and where she was on the court.

Exactly a week ago, Steadman made a 3-pointer from the right wing on Snake River's court to beat West Jefferson at the buzzer in the Panthers' regular-season finale.

That one was covered. Against American Falls on Saturday, she had no one on her as she caught Caselle Howell's inbounds pass from midcourt, turned and fired. On the Snake River bench with a perfect view of the shot, Steadman's younger sister Jackie raised both her arms in triumph a split-second before the ball dropped through the hoop, pure enough that the net barely moved.

Standing next to Jackie, the sisters' dad and head coach, Jeff Steadman, waited until the ball dropped through at the buzzer to react, clapping once and throwing both his fists in the air.

"We set a pick, and they were scared of the inside, so they left her wide open," Jeff Steadman said. "They were faceguarding her one-on-one, so we set a down pick for her and she got open. ... I don't think, from that point on, the momentum ever swung back to American Falls."

Steadman's shot gave Snake River a 39-34 lead at the end of a tense third quarter and, combined with the Panthers scoring the first three points of the fourth, was just enough to them to hold off American Falls for a 50-43 win Saturday in the 3A District 5 tournament.

Snake River will play at Marsh Valley on Monday, needing to win to force a winner-take-all rematch for the district championship on Tuesday. American Falls's season is over.

"I'm just super proud of the effort," American Falls coach Stephen Grigg said. "The girls, all year, they've gone from seeing the program win one, two games their first two years and now we're competing for district games. They've done all the work.

Given that the second-place team in the district will still have a chance at to make the state tournament by winning two play-in games — and that whichever team that comes out of District 5 is favored to do that — Josee Steadman's shot might have been the most consequential in the district this year, the difference between a likely state tournament berth and a disappointing offseason.

It was the only 3-pointer of the game for Steadman, who struggled from outside other than that one moment.

"I'm not too worried about how well I shoot, I was just glad that my teammates were able to step up and we shot well as a team," Josee Steadman said. "We can't worry about what happened in the past, what's going to happen in the future, we just have to play our game."

Steadman then made 6 of 8 free throws late to clinch the win after American Falls made a valiant run. The Beavers, down by two in the final minute, had two shots to either tie or go ahead, but missed a running floater and a stepback 3-pointer.

Freshman point guard Rylie Edlefsen helped Steadman handle A.F.'s pressure down the stretch. Playing in probably the biggest game of her life and going against Raquel Fehringer and McKenzie Long, two of the best guards in the area, Edlefsen had 16 points and handled the ball with the poise of a veteran as the Beavers tried to force her into turnovers.

"She's kind of a standout, both physically and basketball IQ," Jeff Steadman said about Edlefsen. "I've watched her at the junior-high level, met her when she was a sixth-grader. She's an exceptional young lady. Since I've seen her, she's handled the pressures and the big moments really, really well."

Long led American Falls with 16 points.

SNAKE RIVER 50, AMERICAN FALLS 43

American Falls 10 14 10 9 — 43

Snake River 12 14 13 11 — 50

American Falls — Long 16, Bell 10, Adair 7, Fehringer 6, Hall 2, Barclay 2.

Snake River — Jo. Steadman 19, Edlefsen 16, Goff 9, VanOrden 2, Howell 2, Gilbert 2.