Madelynn Mattson had a career night with 24 points and Northeast Nodaway's girls broke a three game losing skid with a 43-37 win over Rock Port Friday night. The Bluejays improved on their rebounding, took care of the ball, and got back to getting the ball inside to their big post player, turning it into a win. Against East Atchison, they struggled right and left against the Wolves' vaunted press, digging themselves into a 42-11 halftime hole. But their third quarter was their best quarter of the year; they outscored the Wolves 17-10, finally started knocking down some shots, and gave themselves something to build on. The reserves played out the fourth quarter in the 62-38 loss.
Rock Port had NEN's number over the last two years in which they were part of the same conference; they nearly doubled up the Bluejays two years ago and nearly ran Northeast out of the gym in Rock Port before a frantic rally came up short last year. Rock Port came into the match at 2-3, but were more than capable of lighting up the scoreboard, posting 61 in a win over Osborn and 56 in a win over South Holt. Two of their three losses, to quality teams in Mound City and Nodaway-Holt, were close losses; the one game they were out of was their 51-17 loss to Jefferson.
The Bluejays made a concerted effort to get the ball into their big post player, and Mattson scored eight points in the first three minutes of the game. Makayla Adwell and Paige West scored off steals as the Bluejays built up a 12-3 lead. But the referees gave a foul call to the wrong player, giving it to Mattson, who was not even in the vicinity, instead of Paige West, who was attempting to block a shot. On another call, Mattson got a clean block, but they called it a foul, sending her to the bench with two fouls.
Rock Port started chipping away, flying to the offensive glass, and getting seven offensive boards in the quarter as they fought back to within 12-8 after one and tied it up early in the second at 14 as Kelcie Gaines started taking over, driving at will to the basket.
But Makayla Adwell scored two free throws off a drive and the Bluejays got back to their game plan of getting it into Mattson, who scored eight points for the rest of the quarter. Despite the officials missing a Rock Port player elbowing Gerry Runde in the face while going after a board, Northeast played through it and built back a 24-20 lead at halftime.
NEN continued to feed Mattson, building up their lead to 28-21 as Rock Port coaching institution Jim Skillen was ranting and raving and throwing his clipboard, burning two timeouts in quick succession in an effort to stop the run. A prayer by Darius Skillen went in to spark the visitors, who closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to make it 28-27.
But Kelcie Gaines, who had carried Rock Port all night up to that point, lost her composure after picking up her third foul while trying to stop a Makayla Adwell drive and drew a technical foul; Skillen benched her for the rest of the game. Adwell made two out of the four free throws and Madelynn Mattson got a fourth chance putback to swing the momentum in NEN's favor. Another prayer by Darius Skillen went in to make it 32-29, but Madelynn Mattson drove and hit a shot and Adwell hit two free throws to make it 36-29.
Rock Port kept coming back as sharpshooter Alivia Baucom, who had been quiet all night, hit back to back threes to make it one point at 36-35. NEN missed a 1-1, and Johnny Davis had a good look at a three that would have given Rock Port the lead. But the shot went astray, and NEN froze the ball for two minutes, clinging to a one point lead. Rock Port elected to sit back, playing for a mistake by NEN that never came. Finally, Paige West got on the line and made both free throws to make it 38-35 with 1:20 left. Baucom missed both free throws after drawing a shooting foul, and Blair Stoll made one of two to give the Bluejays a 39-35 two possession lead.
Blair Stoll got a steal on defense and made one of two to make it 40-35. Paige West got a steal, was fouled on a layup attempt, and missed both free throws. But Makenna Farmer threw it away, and Gerry Runde made two free throws to make it three possessions at 42-35 with 14 seconds left. Farmer hit two free throws with 3.4 seconds to make it 42-37, but Northeast successfully got it in and Blair Stoll made one out of two to seal the win.
Madelynn Mattson had 24 points to lead the Bluejays. Makayla Adwell had 8, Blair Stoll 5, Paige West 4, and Gerry Runde 2.
Madelynn Mattson had 3 blocks for NEN. Paige West and Blair Stoll had 1.
Paige West had 8 boards. Madelynn Mattson had 7, Makayla Adwell 5, Anne Schieber 4, Gerry Runde 3, Blair Stoll 2, and Alba Vozmediario 1.
Gerry Runde had 5 assists. Makayla Adwell, Blair Stoll, and Paige West had 3, while Anne Schieber had 1.
Paige West had 13 tips. Madelynn Mattson had 5, Gerry Runde 3, Makayla Adwell 2, and Blair Stoll and Anne Schieber 1.
Paige West had 4 steals. Gerry Runde had 3, Makayla Adwell and Blair Stoll 2, and Madelynn Mattson 1.
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