Braymer came into the game with four wins, but they were capable of putting points on the board. It shaped up to be a real dogfight at first after a strong start by Worth County. But all of a sudden, they started hitting everything they threw up in the third quarter. Braymer was a young team; they had ten players listed on the roster, but only eight dressed out. In addition, they had another solid post player in Kennedy Stone; both Taylor and Stone were on the rebounding leaderboards for the News-Press.
Kaylee McElvain hit a shot from the right side and Kristin New hit a 3-pointer off a pass from Anna Gladstone to make it 5-0 with 5:23 left. Dallas Hall countered with a free throw, but Jill Hardy hit Kristin New for three from the left wing and Jessi Badell scored from the right baseline to make it 10-1, prompting Braymer’s first timeout. Braymer started fighting back, getting their deficit down to 17-10 with 22 seconds left, only for Megan Cassavaugh to drive and kick out to Jill Hardy at the buzzer for three to make it 20-10. The big difference in the first quarter was turnovers; Worth County didn’t throw it away at all in the period.
Regan Allee picked up her third foul in the second quarter trying to guard Taylor; Worth County had to go deep into their bench to try and shut her down as Jessi Badell, Haley Hunt, and Merrideth Spiers all took turns trying to guard her. Braymer twice got their deficit down to nine before a drive from Kaylee McElvain and a free throw from Anna Gladstone put Worth County up 32-20 at the half.
It looked like it would be a dogfight like the game in Braymer last year, but after Kaylee McElvain aired it out to Anna Gladstone for a three-point play to make it 35-20, the floodgates opened. Anna Gladstone followed with a steal and then Regan Allee got a tip and steal, prompting Braymer’s second timeout with Worth County leading 39-20 with 6:51 left.
Worth County switched from their man to their 1-3-1 trapping defense, which seemed to throw Braymer off-kilter, as they could never get into a rhythm in the second half. They put their press back on after having taken it off in the second quarter.
Stone sliced through the Tiger defense to cut it to 40-22, but then Worth County erupted again as Jessi Badell hit Anna Gladstone inside. Anna Gladstone got another steal after Jessi Badell and Kristin New tipped around an errant pass and converted it into free throws. That prompted Braymer’s third timeout, but Kristin New hit a three-pointer on the right side to make it 47-22.
Stone hit again for Braymer, but then Anna Gladstone scored again off steals from Kristin New and Kaylee McElvain and Regan Allee scored off a steal. Jessi Badell then got a steal and threw to Kristin New to make it 55-24. The time that passed seemed like an eternity, but in reality, there was still 4:10 left in the quarter, and the Tigers were not done.
Regan Allee, who had not scored all night, suddenly got a putback and then cut inside and got a pass from Kaylee McElvain to make it 59-24. Some of the starters, including Gladstone, came out and were done for the night; Hallie Russell banked a 3-pointer and Taylor jumped a pass to cut it to 59-29. But then Jill Hardy hit a three-pointer from the right wing off a pass from Regan Allee, Regan scored two free throws after a drive after Merrideth Spiers kicked it out to her, Megan Cassavaugh hit Allee for three, and then Megan Cassavaugh got a defensive board to Regan Allee, who pushed it ahead to Jill Hardy at the buzzer to make it 69-29.
The reserves took over for the fourth quarter and they managed to keep the game in running clock territory. Haley Hunt scored six and Merrideth Spiers two. Defensively, Worth County held Taylor to 16, six in the fourth quarter after the game was already decided.
Anna Gladstone had 22 points for the Tigers; even more important was what she didn’t do – she didn’t commit a single foul that game. Kristin New had 15, Jill Hardy and Regan Allee had 11 each, Kaylee McElvain had 8, Haley Hunt 6, and Merrideth Spiers and Jill Hardy 2.
Haley Hunt had 3 blocks for Worth County. Kristin New had 2, and Jessi Badell and Regan Allee had 1.
Defensive rebounding had been a problem against Braymer last year, but Worth County got so many tips and steals this time that it wasn’t a factor this year; they were able to hold Braymer to ten offensive boards. Regan Allee and Kaylee McElvain had 5 boards. Kristin New and Haley Hunt had 4, Jessi Badell and Megan Cassavaugh 3, Merrideth Spiers 2, and Jill Hardy and Anna Gladstone 1.
Regan Allee had 9 assists. Megan Cassavaugh had 4, Anna Gladstone 3, Jill Hardy, Kristin New, Jessi Badell, and Merrideth Spiers 2 each, and Haley Hunt and Justina Wimer had 1.
As a team, Worth County had 37 tips for the night. Kristin New had 10, Anna Gladstone 8, Jill Hardy 6, Jessi Badell 5, Megan Cassavaugh 3, Kaylee McElvain and Haley Hunt 2, and Merrideth Spiers 1.
Regan Allee had 7 steals for the Tigers. Anna Gladstone had 6, Jessi Badell and Kristin New 4, Megan Cassavaugh 3, and Haley Hunt, Jill Hardy, and Merrideth Spiers 1.
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