Worth County came into the Sectional game with Southwest Livingston with one goal in mind – keep them down to 50 points or less. They held them to exactly 50 points and got the 59-50 win over the Wildcats, ranked third in the state coming into Tuesday’s game. It was the first-ever ranked team Worth County had beaten since the 2003-2004 season. The Wildcats came into the game with the leading scorer in the area, Kortlyn Rounkles, averaging around 27 points per game. She got her points, getting 24 for the night. But she had to earn everything she got, being guarded by either Anna Gladstone and Kristin New all night. They have both established themselves as two of the best on the ball defenders in the area.
The News-Press called the win an upset, but in fact, it was simply a matter of the Tigers flying under the radar all year. They have played a tough schedule including the likes of King City (twice), Mount Ayr, NEN, Jefferson, Stanberry, Princeton (twice), South Nodaway, North Nodaway (twice), East Harrison (twice), North Harrison (twice), East Atchison, and North Andrew all year. All were teams capable of beating anyone on a given night and blowing teams out of the gym that didn’t bring their “A” game. They were used to guarding people who could score, having guarded Payton Craig (twice) and Jaycee Graves, also high on the News-Press leaderboard. Other people on the leaderboard who Worth County has played against include Lily Osborn (Stanberry), Megan Cottrell (Gilman City), Jasmine Taylor (Braymer), Brandy Rivet (North Harrison), and Brooke McDaniel (North Andrew). To win 21 games against this caliber of competition speaks to the strength of Worth County’s team.
Southwest came into the game averaging 65 points per game, including a high of 87. But Worth County held them to 15 below their average and held them to their 3rd lowest point total of the year out of their 26 games.
Worth County got off to a torrid start as Regan Allee hit a triple from the right side off a pass from Anna Gladstone and then Anna got a putback and an inside shot as Meredith Oesch went to the bench early with two fouls. This was critical, as Worth County was able to exploit Southwest’s lack of depth all night long. Two more free throws from Gladstone made it 9-0, but it was only a matter of time before Southwest responded.
They did with a drive from Rounkles. Allee hit a triple from the right wing off a pass from Kristin New, but then Kaylie Campbell scored off a drive and Rounkles and Campbell scored off steals to make it 12-8.
Jessi Badell got a putback, but Southwest got back to within 14-13 after one. The two teams traded blows until Rounkles got loose in transition to put Southwest up 25-24 at the 3:25 mark of the second. What could have been disaster for Worth County happened at the end of the half; they held for the last shot down 30-27, only for Regan Allee to pull the trigger prematurely and Rounkles to hit Worth County with a layup at the other end to put her team up 32-27 at the half.
It looked like all the momentum was in Southwest’s favor as Rounkles’ NBA three put them in front 37-30 at the 6:34 mark of the third quarter. But then Worth County stopped the bleeding as all of a sudden, Kaylee McElvain realized she could take her defender to the basket at will, getting two drives, a putback, and a midrange shot for eight points in the period to keep Worth County in the game as Rounkles kept right on hitting.
But then it looked like Worth County’s best efforts might be in vain as Kaylee Campbell’s triple put the Wildcats up 49-41 after three. Little did they know that they would only get one more point for the whole game.
Worth County had the ball to start the fourth and Anna Gladstone got a drive, kicked out to Kaylee, who drove and completed a three point play to make it 49-44. All of a sudden, Jill Hardy got back to back threes, the first on a possession that Anna Gladstone kept alive with an offensive board, and all of a sudden, Worth County had wiped out their deficit in just over a minute in a half, leading 50-49 again.
Kaylie Campbell’s free throw tied it up at 50, but then Southwest didn’t score for the remaining 5:59 of the game and Worth County took over the game from there. Regan Allee’s drive and pullup off a pass from Anna Gladstone made it 52-50. After a series of stops, Kaylee McElvain scored from inside to make it 54-50 and make it two possessions with 3:15 left. Trying to close off the driving lanes, Southwest left Jessi Badell on the right wing just inside the three point line with 2:28 left. She missed a similar shot against King City with Worth County protecting a late lead in King City, but this time, she made it to put Worth County up 56-50.
Rounkles had a good look at an NBA three, but missed it, got her own board, but threw away the ball and then picked up her fourth foul. Oesch fouled out and Jessi Badell hit a free throw to make it three possessions at 57-50. Rounkles went to the rim and got on the line, but missed both free throws and subsequently fouled out trying to get the ball from Anna Gladstone, who had gotten the defensive board. It was similar to Anna’s play last year, when she drew Payton Craig’s fifth foul in double overtime with six seconds left and Worth County protecting a 52-50 lead against the Shamrocks; she missed both free throws, but Jessi Badell’s putback iced a winning season for Worth County.
This time, Anna missed a one and one with 1:06 left, but Kaylee McElvain dove on the floor to secure an offensive board and Worth County took another 13 seconds off before Southwest could get the clock stopped. Regan Allee hit one of two to make it 58-50 and McKenzie Anderson missed a point blank shot at the other end. Worth County ran it all the way down to 17 seconds left and Jessi Badell hit a free throw before Anna Gladstone picked Kaylie Campbell’s wallet from behind to ice it.
Regan Allee had 18 points to lead Worth County. Anna Gladstone and Kaylee McElvain had 13, Jessi Badell and Jill Hardy had 6, Merrideth Spiers 2, and Kristin New 1.
Kaylee McElvain had 10 boards for the Tigers. Anna Gladstone and Kristin New had 6, Jessi Badell 5, Regan Allee 3, and Jill Hardy 2.
Anna Gladstone had 7 assists to lead the Tigers. Regan Allee had 4, Kristin New 4, Jill Hardy 1, and Jessi Badell 1.
Regan Allee had 6 tips, while Kristin New, Kaylee McElvain, and Anna Gladstone all had 1. Regan Allee and Anna Gladstone had 2 steals, while Kristin New, Jessi Badell, and Kaylee McElvain had 1.
But just as important was what Worth County didn’t do – turn the ball over. After turning it over five times in the first quarter, they only turned it over four more times the rest of the game, for a total of nine. And they only gave up eight offensive boards.
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