Tiger Girls Down East Harrison to Take 4th Win

Worth County’s girls picked up their fourth win of the year, doubling their win total from last  year and taking down East Harrison 67-38 as they continued their torrid scoring pace and showed no ill effects from their loss to South Nodaway last Monday.

They weathered an early surge from the Bobcats, who had been dismantled by 40 last year in Ridgeway by the Tigers. But Bill Pottorff, who coached at powerhouse South Harrison last year, somehow saw potential in this bunch and took on the task of rebuilding them, with immediate results, jumping out of the gate with a 3-1 start.

Their sparkplug was Natayla Selby, who got them out of the gate by scoring 8 out of her team’s first 10 points against Worth County in the first four minutes, staking her team out to a 10-4 lead. They were pressing, swarming, and flying around the gym and confusing Worth County with their multiple looks.

But Worth County’s girls were up to the challenge as Anna Gladstone started an 11-0 run with a free throw after grabbing an offensive board. Payton Adwell knocked one down from the right side after Kaylee McElvain kicked one out. Then, Sidney Troutwine made a diving steal while playing the front cog of Worth County’s trapping zone and had the ball while sprawled on the floor. It took everyone on both sides a few seconds to process what had just happen; Anna Gladstone realized what happened sooner than everyone else and Troutwine rolled it to her for a layup. Payton Adwell threw one to Regan Allee for a 3-pointer in transition and Merrideth Spiers scooped up a carom and put it back in to make it 15-10.

East Harrison adjusted and started getting the ball to Lauryn Waddle, who was finding the caps in Worth County’s trapping zone at will in the second quarter. But Worth County continued to pull away as both Regan Allee and Kaylee McElvain got the hot hand in the second frame. Kristin New hit her twice for open looks on the right wing, while Kaylee McElvain had one look where she faked out two defenders in the air and then blew right by them for a layup. Worth County led 33-21 at the half. Jessi Badell wreaked havoc on the defensive end all night, including one play where she sent one shot into the stage; she had three blocks for the night.

Worth County’s depth began to tell in the second half as they scored the first 14 points of the second half as the Bobcats got into foul trouble and McElvain was able to roam the offensive glass at will.  Anna Gladstone had one play where she head-faked a Bobcat player going in for a layup like she was going to attempt a monster stuff and made her miss badly. She had another where she didn’t just block an errant perimeter shot from East Harrison; she pulled it down and took off the other way for a free throw on the other end.

Worth County got into foul trouble themselves late in the third, but Aubrey Ragan and Dominique Findley provided some fresh legs as they both got into the scoring column as Worth County led 51-26 after three.

The Tigers kept getting loose in transition and scoring, as Kristin New’s transition look put the Tigers ahead 57-28 early in the fourth. Alyssa Andrew’s 3-point play brought East Harrison back to within 57-33, but then Nevada Hoff came off the bench for a 3-pointer off a pass from Jessi Badell. Regan Allee hit four free throws and Worth County took their largest lead of the night at 67-33.
Later, Dominique Findley hit a 3-pointer and Hannah McElvain, who was all over the floor on defense for the reserves, took a charge on defense.

The girls landed 10 in the scoring column. Regan Allee had 18, Kaylee McElvain 15, Anna Gladstone 10, Payton Adwell and Dominique Findley 5, Kristin New and Merrideth Spiers 4, Nevada Hoff 3, Aubrey Ragan 2, and Jessi Badell 1.

The boys did not fare as well. East Harrison did not have enough players to field a team Friday, so the Tigers scheduled Maryville’s varsity at the last minute, as both teams had a common open date and they fell hard 63-36. The Spoofhounds, who won districts in Class 3 last year, were bigger, quicker, and faster than any of the smaller schools around, even Stanberry. They had three kids listed at 6’6” and one more listed at 6’4”. They got a dunk right off the bat from Jackson Golightly and another one from Jalen Sundell late in the game. In between was a clinic on in your face defense as Maryville was able to knock Worth County out of their rhythm on their shots and work the ball around at will on offense.

Worth County looked like they still had a chance at it down 11-7 early in the second quarter, but then gave up the next 14 points as Maryville took control at 25-7. Worth County finally got some shots to fall and closed to within 30-17 early in the third, but then Maryville went into high gear again and scored the next eight to put the game away.

Isaac Alarcon had 11 points for Worth County. Drake Kinsella had 10, Mason Hawk 5, Ryan McClellan 4, Cade Allee 3, Tevin Cameron 2, and Jacob Wimer 1.

“If we had hit our shots early on, it would have been a lot different,” said Coach Bryce Schafer. “I’d rather take a game like this any time over an easy win. We get more out of those and our boys took it the right way.”