North Harrison’s second game of the South Harrison Tournament turned out to be the battle for first place. The Shamrocks and Bluejays had never met recently on the girls side despite playing in the South Harrison Tournament for the last several years. But when they finally did, following a weather postponement, it turned out to be every bit as good as advertised. The Shamrocks have been getting everyone’s best shot recently; they stand at 11-2 after winning the tournament. NEN has been getting better and better with Gerry Runde, Makayla Adwell, and a supporting cast of freshmen to back them up.
What happened exceeded everyone’s expectations as North Harrison built up a big early lead. Northeast Nodaway, however, spent the whole game chipping away at the lead, finally going ahead late in the game. But then, Payton Craig made a dash down the sideline with 6.9 seconds left for the ages, sending it to overtime. North Harrison seized the momentum and won the extra period, taking the semifinal game 62-57. In one parallel, that play was reminiscent of the kind of plays NEN standout Jacqueline Schulte made for her team in 2010 and 2011; she had an uncanny ability to make last-second shots for her team.
There was still basketball to be played as North Harrison had to face East Harrison Saturday, while Northeast had to face Princeton. Both teams, in another parallel, faced coaches who graduated from their former school. NEN faced off against Brian Hall, who coached the Blue Tigers against his alma mater and the Bluejays came away with the 64-60 come from behind victory to take third. East Harrison skipper Bill Pottorff, with his trademark glare and big voice, was a graduate from North Harrison and is a regular presence on the softball umpiring circuit. There were some anxious moments in the championship game, but North Harrison held off East Harrison’s attempts to rally and came away with the 41-33 victory.
It looked so easy for North Harrison at first. Payton Craig got a putback, hit Emma Craig in the post three times, and Brandy Rivet for a 3-pointer and added a free throw as the Shamrocks jumped out to a 12-0 lead just four minutes into the game. Gerry Runde picked up her second foul during that stretch and Mason Cracraft took a charge on Makayla Adwell trying to drive. Northeast finally got on the board as Madelynn Mattson got four of her team’s five points in the period. But Payton Craig got a putback, Mason Cracraft hit from the left wing, and Emma Craig hit Carly Rinehart from the right wing for three and North Harrison was up 19-5 after one.
But then Payton Craig picked up her second foul with 7:21 left in the second and her third at the 4:41 mark and Northeast started coming back. Paige West started wreaking havoc on the defensive end, jumping a pass and getting a steal and layup with 4:04 left to get it under double digits at 24-15. Kami Gibson skipped one to Brandy Rivet, who hit a guarded 3-pointer over West, but Paige got a drive and pullup and hit Makayla Adwell twice to make it 27-21. Carly Rinehart got a putback, but Madelynn Mattson twice scored in transition after getting passes from Angela Standiford to make it 29-25 at halftime. Standiford, one of several freshmen for NEN, put in some quality minutes for Northeast Friday night.
Payton Craig came back and tried to take over, scoring the first nine points for North Harrison. She got a tip and steal that led to a free throw to start the scoring. On another, Addie Slaughter got a tip, Emma Craig got a steal, Brandy Rivet pushed it up the floor, and Payton Craig got the finish. Emma Craig hit Payton for a drive, Payton scored another in transition, and Carly Rinehart kept a possession alive with an offensive board. But Northeast hung around as Madelynn Mattson got a putback, Paige West scored off a steal and hit Makayla Adwell in the high post for another basket, and Gerry Runde hit a 3-pointer. Payton Craig hit Brandy Rivet for a 3-pointer to make it 41-34, but then picked up her fourth foul with 2:40 left in the third as Makayla Adwell sealed her in the lane, one of her Bluejay teammates got her the ball, and Payton reached around the seal.
But this time, Payton Craig’s teammates held the fort for her as Makayla Adwell scored off a carom, but Emma Craig got a putback to put the Shamrocks up 43-36 going into the fourth. NEN chipped away to start the fourth as Paige West scored off a Makayla Adwell steal and Adwell got a lob from Gerry Runde to make it 43-40 before Payton Craig back in.
But despite Craig’s presence on the floor for North Harrison, NEN was able to erase their lead by the end of regulation. Makayla Adwell had been less talkative than usual before the game and was completely locked in during this stage, scoring off a pair of drives and getting a free throw. Madelynn Mattson got a lob from Blair Stoll to make it 48-47 with 3:38 left. Emma Craig, who had a monster night for North Harrison with 13 points and 17 boards, twice her normal output, got a putback and hit Addie Slaughter inside to seemingly restore order, giving the Shamrocks a 52-47 lead with 2:17 left. But Blair Stoll hit Gerry Runde inside for Slaughter’s fifth foul and Runde hit the three point play to make it 52-50 with 2:08 left.
North Harrison tried to run the clock down, getting to just over a minute left. But once again, the defensive presence of Paige West made itself known as she jumped a pass and went in for the game-tying layup. Emma Craig put on a huge burst of speed and got a chasedown stuff of West to preserve the lead, but it didn’t matter as Blair Stoll lobbied it into Madelynn Mattson to tie it at 52.
The Shamrocks tried to hold it for the last shot, but traveled with 44 seconds and NEN held for the last shot. Makayla Adwell drove the lane, drew some green shirts, and kicked it to Gerry Runde in the elbow, and she hit it with 6.9 seconds left to seemingly give Northeast the 54-52 victory.
North Harrison called timeout and set up a play to rush Brandy Rivet down the right sideline to possibly shoot for the win. But then NEN took a timeout and North Harrison changed the play to spring Payton Craig loose down the right sideline. What happened next was a dash for the ages. Payton Craig ran into two blue shirts at the midcourt line, nearly lost her dribble, got it back, and got into the lane, where she encountered two more blue shirts. She tried to dish it off to Olivia Babinski, stationed on the weak side for that purpose. But the ball caromed right off Babinski’s hands and the game was seemingly lost. But Craig scooped up the loose carom, split the NEN defenders, and hit the shot off the glass as time expired, sending it into overtime tied at 54.
The closest parallel to this was a play in 1994 during a girls game between Northeast Nodaway and North Nodaway in Hopkins, right after the new gym was built at North Nodaway. With NEN trailing North Nodaway by 2 with eight seconds left, Angela Stiens grabbed a missed free throw and raced down the left side of the gym, missing a runner in the lane over three taller Mustang defenders. But then she grabbed her own miss and nailed it as time expired and the Bluejays won in overtime. That team went on to the Quarterfinals that year, the first post-Claude Samson team to do so.
There was still basketball to be played, and neither team could do anything for the first minute and a half. Finally, Payton Craig drove the lane with 2:39 left, drew Madelynn Mattson’s fifth foul, and converted the three-point play to make it 57-54. It was a big loss for NEN, who was left without one of their main post players.
The Bluejays still had their chances as Makayla Adwell got a three throw after an offensive board to make it 57-55 and North Harrison threw it away. But Paige West had a good look from the left baseline go in and out and Makayla Adwell’s putback try also missed. This time, Brandy Rivet hit Emma Craig inside with 1:07 left, North Harrison got a stop, and Rivet hit two free throws to make it 61-55 with 41 seconds left.
Cassy Redden got a second chance at the back end of a two shot foul after a violation and hit it to make it 61-56 with 30.8 seconds left. North Harrison ran it down to 17 seconds and nearly turned it over on a five seconds call as two whistles blew. But Coach Aaron Long had called a timeout just before the five second call and North Harrison got the ball back. Emma Craig missed two close shots that would have made it three possessions and Cassy Redden hit a free throw with 6.7 seconds left, but Payton Craig countered with a free throw to end it, getting her 25th point in the process. Emma Craig had 13 and Brandy Rivet 11. Makayla Adwell had 20 and Madelynn Mattson 17 for Northeast Nodaway.
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