Tiger Girls Avenge Stanberry Losses in Semifinals

Worth County’s girls avenged three losses to Stanberry Thursday as they turned back the Bulldogs 41-29 in the Albany Tournament Semifinals. Last year, Worth County won a 32-31 squeaker in the GRC Conference game to claim a share of the GRC West, but fell three other times to the Bulldogs, including a loss in the Quarterfinals. This year, it looked like it would be more of the same, as Stanberry jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first 4:32 of the game.

But then something funny happened as Worth County figured out they could play basketball with Stanberry and started coming back. Despite relentless pressure from Stanberry and Bulldog players flying to the offensive glass to the tune of 19 offensive boards, the Tigers started chipping away, sparked by Merrideth Spiers, normally a defensive specialist and rebounder in the post. Spires had four of her team’s points in the first period before Jenna Smith came off the bench to hit a triple to put the Tigers up 9-7 after one.

That was enough to spark the Tigers, as Anna Gladstone scored off a steal to start the second quarter. Like the subsequent Platte Valley game, Kristin New sparked the Tigers in the second quarter as she knocked down a triple off an Anna Gladstone steal; she then was leveled by a Stanberry defender as she knocked down another after getting an inbounds pass; she converted a four point play to make it 18-7. Merrideth Spiers connected in the post again to make it 20-7.

Stanberry sharpshooter Sydney Mattson connected from three to stop the bleeding and the Bulldogs fought back to within 20-12, but then Anna Gladstone found a driving lane, hit a scoop shot, and wound up sprawled on the floor with seven seconds left to put the Tigers up 22-12. Anna was a presence in the paint, as she blocked four shots in the first half to keep Stanberry off the board.

A rare defensive lapse by the Tigers allowed Stanberry to cut the lead to eight, but then Gladstone scored off an inbounds play from Kristin New, New hit a free throw, and Megan Cassavaugh scored off a drive to make it 27-14. The lead fluctuated between 10 and 14 before Kristin New scored twice, Anna Gladstone scored from inside, and Megan Cassavaugh hit a three to give Worth County its biggest lead of 41-22 with 2:21 left.