Lauren Null did all she could to put Worth County ahead as she opened the scoring off a steal and drive and then hit Brooke Gilland off a backdoor cut. Lauren scored off another steal with 4:51 left in the first, which prompted a timeout from Ridgeway coach Tom Hogan, who told his players that they hadn't done a blessed thing yet. Lauren cut inside to make it 8-0 at the four minute mark, but then came out with two fouls as Kaylen Carson got Ridgeway on the board from the left wing with 2:21 left. Lauren's foul trouble didn't seem like it was going to matter at first as Liz Novak got a steal and went coast to coast to make it 10-2 with 18.7 seconds left.
The swarming Tiger defense continued to generate turnovers and points in the second quarter as Brooke Gilland got a steal and drive and then Kacey Smyser tipped a pass to Kiley Reynolds, who threw it back to Kacey for the layup, prompting the Ridgeway coach to put five in and take five out. Rilee Ellis hit from the high post for Ridgeway to make it 14-4, but then Liz Novak pushed the ball up the floor against the ensuing press and got it to Lauren Null, who knocked down one free throw. Lauren picked up her third foul shortly afterwards, but Liz Novak cut inside for a bucket and Kristen Andrews slipped in for an offensive board and turned it into a free throw to make it 18-4. Kandace Oakley went backdoor for Ridgeway, but Liz drove down the right wing to make it 20-6.
But with Null out with foul trouble, it hurt Worth County's ballhanding badly against the diamond press that Ridgeway put on and they began throwing the ball away, allowing Ridgeway to climb back in. The Tigers were seemingly a victim of their own success as they didn't know what to do with a big lead once they got it and Coach April Healy said that at this point they began playing not to lose instead of playing to win. On defense, they were hacking and fouling, allowing Ridgeway to get into the double bonus, running up a 10-3 foul differential at one point. And without Null's size, Ridgeway began rebounding at will. Consequently, they got a putback from Hannah Booth, four free throws from Kaylen Carlson, and a 3-pointer from Oakley from the baseline, all in a 2:37 span and aided by the frequent stoppages of play for fouls to made it a brand new game at 20-15 at the break.
The second half started off well for Worth County as they went to a 1-3-1 that slowed Ridgeway down enough for them to go scoreless for the first four minutes. Liz Novak threw a bounce pass ahead to Kiley that resulted in a free throw and then cut inside for a layup to make it 23-15. But then the press started bothering Worth County again as Booth got a steal and drive for Ridgeway to spark a 5-1 run that made it 24-20 with 1:16 left. Kacey Smyser then got going as she beat the press for a layup and then hit a free throw to make it 27-20 after three.
Neither side could penetrate the other team's defenses for the first two minutes of the fourth quarter until Hannah Booth scored from inside and then Carlson slipped inside to score to make it 27-24 with 5:16 left. Worth County responded by attacking the basket as well as they have all year, getting into the double bonus. But they struggled from the free throw line as they were 9 for 25 for the night, only managing two free throws from Kacey Smyser that made it 29-24. They were able to run the clock down a whole minute on one possession down to 2:24 after getting a strip in the post, but then missed two free throws and then Natasha Shelby hit a 3-pointer after one of Ridgeway's many offensive boards to make it 29-26.
Hannah Booth got a steal off the press, but Claire Andrews jumped a pass and stole it right back. She missed the contested layup, but Worth County tied up the rebound and the possession arrow was pointing their way with 1:24 left. But instead of running the clock and making Ridgeway foul, they tried to force a pass into the post and threw it away and Oakley was there for the layup for Ridgeway to make it 29-28. Worth County threw the ball away against the press and then Kaylen Carlson was there for the layup to put Ridgeway up 30-29 with 1:03 left.
Lauren Null then broke through against the press, but missed wildly. But she stuck with the play and followed her shot which may have saved the game for Worth County as she stripped Anna Fitzpatrick of the ball. She missed, but Claire Andrews was there for the offensive board. She missed the putback try but got her own board and was fouled by Selby with 44.6 seconds left. She missed the first, but hit the second free throw to tie it at 30.
Ridgeway broke the press and got the ball to Carlson in the corner; however, she missed from the left corner and Kiley Reynolds chased the ball down and was fouled by Carlson. Reynolds missed the first, but the bank was open on the second one as she banked it home to put Worth County up 31-30 with 26.4 seconds left. Ridgeway Coach Tom Hogan was frantically trying to call timeout with 15 seconds left, but nobody heard him as Fitzpatrick drove down the middle of the lane, drew the help defense, and then kicked it out to Oakley on the baseline. Oakley's shot missed and Kiley Reynolds was there for the board with 5.9 seconds left. Kiley missed both free throws, opening the door for Ridgeway and they got the ball into Hannah Booth. Booth dribbled up the floor and threw up an open look at the buzzer, but it missed wildly off the backboard and Worth County got the win.
No comments:
Post a Comment