TACOMA — The Garfield Bulldogs are finally dancing.

With Malia O'Neal choreographing the steps, the top-ranked Bulldogs won the Class 4A girls state basketball championship last night, sliding past Snohomish in overtime, 63-58.

It was sweet music for Garfield, which lost last year's title game to Roosevelt.

Afterward, O'Neal leaped up on the press table to celebrate with the fans.

"I had that planned since last year," the crafty guard said after scoring 17 points and dishing out four assists.

This was the way O'Neal wanted to end her high-school career and she seemed almost in a daze afterward.

"I don't know what to think," she said. "I thought I would cry, win or lose, but I can't shed a tear. I'm just so happy."

Scrappy Snohomish nearly sent the Bulldogs home in tears for the second straight year, leading for much of the game.

"We survived a storm," Garfield coach Joyce Walker said.

The fifth-ranked Panthers (25-2), who had won 25 games in a row since a season-opening loss to No. 2 University of Spokane, led for much of the game and were primed to pull off their second upset in a row. They knocked off University in the semifinals.

JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES Garfield players, including Malia O'Neal, right, hoist the championship trophy. The Bulldogs finished 26-1.

Last night, they led 12-4 early and 17-10 at the end of the first quarter. They got Garfield's Samantha Tinned in early foul trouble and were up by six points late in the third period.

But the Bulldogs had too much bite.

Tinned, a 6-foot-1 junior who was voted the tournament's most valuable player for the second year in a row, returned in the fourth quarter and scored six of her 14 points to help her team pull even.

"I knew I could come in and give us a big push," Tinned said.

But it was Garfield's two seniors, O'Neal and Jamila Bates, who made the biggest plays at the end of regulation. Snohomish led 52-50 on two free throws by senior Sydney Benson, who finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds, both game highs. Bates responded by putting back a Tinned miss. After Benson hit two more free throws to make it 54-52 with 47 seconds left, O'Neal drove and pulled up for a short jumper to knot the score again with 32 seconds left.

Snohomish called two timeouts, but never got off a final shot.

In overtime, O'Neal gave Garfield a 58-56 lead with two free throws, then Bates forced a turnover and fed LaCale Pringle for an inside basket to make it 60-56. Benson's two free throws cut it to 60-56 with just under a minute to go. Garfield made 3 of 6 shots from the line to seal the victory. Pringle, who finished with 13 points, had a big offensive rebound along the way and Tinned came up with a clutch block.

Snohomish coach Ken Roberts couldn't fault his team's effort.

JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES Garfield's Jamila Bates, left, fights for the ball against Snohomish's Kristin Moore in the first half. Snohomish led much of the first half, and the game was tightly contested throughout.

"I'm so proud of our kids," he said. "They played a good game. Somebody had to lose."

Emily Cassidy had a big game for the Panthers with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Snohomish was looking for the first title in school history. The Panthers were second in 1993, losing to Central Valley of Veradale, a Spokane suburb.

O'Neal was voted to the all-tournament first team for the second year in a row. She and Tinned were joined by University's Bjorklund sisters, Angie and Jami, and Heather Bowman of Lewis and Clark.

Snohomish, which had a variety of players step up throughout the tournament, did not have a player on the first team, but Daesha Henderson and Tara Angell made the second team along with Julie Futch of Auburn Riverside, Katie Madison of Prairie and Briann January of Lewis and Clark.

This is Garfield's third girls title, but first since 1987. The Bulldogs also won in 1980, when Walker was a star player. Asked how the experiences compared, she said, "I think this is better for me, because I had to work collectively with a group of 12 girls. ... It's really their ride, I just happened to be chief in charge."

Tinned said the Bulldogs won't be satisfied with this championship.

"We want one more," she said.

It was apparent early that Snohomish was not satisfied just to be there. Cassidy and Benson owned the first quarter, combining for 15 points as Snohomish took a 17-8 lead late in the period.

Then O'Neal worked her magic to start the second period, forcing the issue at the other end. She scored seven points during a 9-0 run that gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the game, 19-17, with 5:33 left in the first half.

The Panthers continued to get great looks inside, but couldn't finish, missing their first seven tries of the quarter. During one stretch, they had four consecutive shots, but couldn't get one to fall.

Angell finally ended the drought with a three-pointer at the 5:17 mark. Angell had drained six three-pointers in the victory over University.

Garfield went back in front when Tinned scored off a feed from O'Neal and O'Neal followed with a fastbreak basket to make it 23-20. Tinned then picked up her third foul and was forced to the bench. Pringle stepped up with a three-point play and two free throws in the final 1:35 of the half as the Bulldogs took a 28-25 lead at the break.

Snohomish sizzled at the start, hitting seven of its first 10 shots, but struggled the rest of the half, making only 3 of 26 tries.

Snohomish had a quick sprint to start the third period, scoring the first eight points with four different players contributing.

GARFIELD — Malia O'Neal 5-17 7-12 17, Samantha Tinned 7-15 0-0 14, LaCale Pringle 4-9 5-6 13, Jessica Tinned 4-6 0-0 9, Chanieka Williams 2-3 0-0 4, Vivian Frieson 1-2 1-2 3, Jamila Bates 1-6 1-3 3. Totals 24-58 14-23 63.

SNOHOMISH — Sydney Benson 6-19 7-8 20, Emily Cassidy 7-14 1-2 15, Kristin Moore 4-11 0-0 9, Daesha Henderson 2-9 3-4 7, Tara Angell 2-4 0-0 6, Britni Rathke 0-1 1-2 1, Amanda Best 0-3 0-0 0, Kelsey Manning 0-1 0-0 0, Stephanie Heard 0-0 0-0 0, Brittney Marshall 0-0 0-0 0, Chelsea Adams 0-0 0-0 0, Leah Nicholson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-62 12-16 58.

Three-point goals — Garfield 1-5 (J.Tinned 1-1, Pringle 0-2, O'Neal 0-2); Snohomish 4-13 (Angell 2-3, Benson 1-1, Moore 1-5, Henderson 0-2, Best 0-2). Rebounds — Garfield 31 (Bates 7), Snohomish 49 (Benson 14). Assists — Garfield 7 (O'Neal 4), Snohomish 9 (Benson 3, Cassidy 3). Blocked shots — Garfield 3 (Frieson 2), Snohomish 2 (Rathke, Cassidy). Steals — Garfield 8 (O'Neal 3), Snohomish 3 (Moore 2). Fouls — Garfield 15, Snohomish 19. Fouled out — Henderson, Snohomish.