Payton Adwell, Sidney Troutwine, and Dominique Findley were honored at Senior Night, the Tigers thwarted an NEN bid to make a game out of it in the first quarter and won 59-25, and freshman Nevada Hoff did the worm afterwards as Worth County posted their 11th win of the season to even out their record. For a team that is unaccustomed to success, the season has marked a big turnaround as the Tigers have successfully clawed their way to .500 at 11-11. They still have plenty to play for, including their first winning season in 11 years as well as their first district win in 11 years.
While Anna Gladstone has emerged as one of the most dangerous players in the area in the open court and Regan Allee has emerged as a sharpshooter for the Tigers, it is players behind the scene such as Adwell, Findley, and Troutwine who were just as instrumental in the Tigers’ improvement this year. Whether it was Payton Adwell taking the freshmen under her wing and showing them the ropes or Troutwine, who was always pushing the rest of the team in practice, handling the ball, and being a strong defensive stopper, or Dominique Findley, the kind of person you always want on your team and who drew a lot of positive comments about her play over the years, every good team has players like that.
Also honored Monday night were Gavin Dine (pep band), Dora Martz (cheerleader), Kristen Ross (cheerleader), and Jacob Wimer (boys basketball). Will Engel and Jeremy Wimer were recognized for qualifying to go to state in wrestling for Albany, with which Worth County coops in wrestling.
Dominique Findley hit a 3-pointer early for Worth County, but Gerry Runde did all she could to keep Northeast in the game, hitting eight of her team’s 11 points in the first quarter. Northeast lead 11-9 late in the first quarter before Les New put on Worth County’s trapping zone, which seemed to throw off Northeast the rest of the night. Jessi Badell got a steal off the trap and then a putback as Worth County led 13-11 after one.
Worth County finally gained some separation in the second quarter as Regan Allee pulled up and hit a shot in traffic and Anna Gladstone picked Makayla Adwell’s wallet for a layup. Adwell wove through traffic for a layup to counter, but then Regan Allee hit a 3-pointer off a skip from Gladstone, Payton Adwell hit a free throw off a putback, and Regan Allee hit a triple off a Kristin New pass to make it 24-13.
Gerry Runde hit a triple off a pass from Makayla Adwell and Adwell added a free throw to make it 24-17, but Kaylee McElvain hit Jessi Badell inside to restart the Tigers. Anna Gladstone kicked one out to Aubrey Ragan, Kaylee McElvain scored off a Gladstone steal, and Kaylee McElvain scored a free throw to make it 31-17 with 2:01 left in the half. Gerry Runde did all she could to keep her team in the game, including driving right through a trap like a human bulldozer as she went to the rim on one play. But it was all for nought as Gladstone scored off a steal and then got loose again late in the first half. One of the Bluejay players set to take a charge, only for Gladstone to stop on a dime and dish it off to Kaylee McElvain at the buzzer, somehow avoiding the charge and getting an assist instead. Worth County led 35-17 at the half.
Neither side could do anything for the first two minutes of the second half until Dominique Findley hit a 3-pointer off a pass from Payton Adwell, which opened the floodgates for Worth County. Regan Allee followed with another; Jessi Badell got a backdoor layup off a pass from Payton Adwell, and Regan Allee hit another triple off a pass from Dominique Findley to make it 46-17 with 4:09 left.
Worth County went scoreless for the next four minutes as Makayla Adwell’s free throw made it 46-22 with 52.2 seconds left, but then Kaylee McElvain’s free throws to end the third quarter, Sidney Troutwine’s jumper to start the fourth, and a pair of baskets from Anna Gladstone triggered the running clock and put Worth County up 54-22 with 6:19 left in the game. Dominique Findley hit her third 3-pointer and Merrideth Spiers struck from the high post late in the game to make it 59-25.
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