Worth County's girls showed that their improvement against good teams during the Northwest Missouri Tournament was no accident, as they beat King City 42-39 Tuesday. The Wildkats had quality wins over the likes of North Andrew, South Nodaway, and South Harrison. With the win, Worth County picked up its ninth victory, the most since 2005, when they won 15. They also beat King City for the first time since 2007. So while they have not gotten their winning season yet, two big barriers fell Tuesday night.
Anna Gladstone scored right off the bat, and then Regan Allee got a steal and took on three defenders, knocking down two free throws. Anna Gladstone then grabbed a steal, got it to Payton Adwell, who threw it back to Anna for a give and go that worked perfectly to make it 6-0 with 4:39 left and prompt a King City timeout.
King City responded by pressing Worth County and trying to get Brittany Walters, their post player, more touches and they got back in the game, tying it at 6-6 after Grace Schottel's breakaway. Jessi Badell followed with an inside shot following a Sidney Troutwine strip and a Regan Allee entry pass. Grace Schottel got loose down the left side of the floor again, and Walters scored from inside again to put King City up 9-8, but Troutwine fed Kristin New cutting inside with six seconds left to put Worth County up 10-9 after one.
King City sought to get the ball into Walters more, but Anna Gladstone jumped a pass and scored on the other end to jumpstart a Tiger run. She added a drive and King City switched to a 1-2-2 to stop the drives. Walters connected to make it 14-11, but Regan Allee took a pass from Kristin New for a triple to force them out of it and Anna Gladstone went down the right side against multiple defenders to put Worth County up 19-11.
But then Gladstone picked up her third foul and King City wiped most of it out as Schottel went to the line and went three of four, Walters scored from inside again, and Shanley Muff knocked down a high post shot at the buzzer to make it 19-18 at the half.
Walters picked up her third foul early in the third pushing off on a lob attempt and her fourth trying to stop Regan Allee as she beat the King City press and converted it into a three point play with 6:11 left in the third. Jessi Badell cleaned up on a fast break and Kristin New converted another three-point play off an Allee steal as she took on three defenders to make it 29-20.
But then Anna Gladstone picked up her fourth foul and King City chipped away again, getting back to within 29-26 after three as Worth County went scoreless in last 4:35 of the third. Gladstone came back in and did not pick up her fifth foul as she stayed on for the whole period; she got a backdoor drive off a pass from Allee and a high-low look from Kristin New to put Worth County back up 33-26. Walters came back in and King City had a chance to come back to within two, but Walters picked up her fifth foul pushing off on the offensive end; Kristin New beat the press and got behind the defense and took a pass from Anna Gladstone to make it 35-29 instead of 33-31.
King City went to a trapping zone and got to within 37-34 and got a chance to tie after forcing some turnovers, but they were whistled for three seconds with 1:55 left. On its next possession, Payton Adwell, who had not scored all night, took an entry pass from Regan Allee with 1:22 to make it two possessions again at 39-34. King City missed a shot, but Worth County turned it back over again. But then Anna Gladstone swiped a lob pass and Regan Allee knocked down two free throws to make it 41-34 with 22.7 seconds left.
Worth County went full court man to man in an effort to make King City work to bring the ball up the floor, but it backfired as Jamie Heine beat everyone down the floor to make it 41-36 with 16 seconds left. Kristin New hit one of two with 13.6 seconds left, which left the barn door open as Shanley Muff got a putback and three-point play with 2.9 seconds left to make it 42-39.
Worth County had to get the ball in and King City couldn't foul at this stage, since Worth County would shoot at the other end and King City would have to go the length of the floor in an effort to score even if Worth County missed two. King City went for the turnover and the quick three-pointer, but Worth County got it into Kristin New, who dribbled out the final 2.9 seconds for the victory.
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