North Nodaway fell behind against Rock Port, but refused to lose and twice tied the game up in the last minute. Jacquelyn Cline then took over in the extra period, scoring 11 of her 26 points in the extra period, setting a new career high in the process. The Mustangs proceeded to win 63-59 in overtime behind the strength of 18 for 26 free throw shooting. It was the second time North Nodaway had won the game from the line, having shot 25 for 38 from the line against Christian in their 51-35 win.
The Mustangs beat Rock Port 38-18 in the Fairfax Tournament the week before, but it was a totally different Bluejay team that took the court last Tuesday. North Nodaway traded buckets with Rock Port early on, but then the Bluejays started scoring at will, getting the ball to Alivia Baucom at will; Chaney Vogler slashed to the basket, and Rylee Jenkins added a pair of free throws to make it 14-8 after one.
Saryn Brown and Jacquelyn Cline shot North Nodaway back in the game with 3-pointers, and Cline's free throw and Brown's putback gave North Nodaway the lead back at 20-17 at the 4:12 mark of the second. Consecutive high post shots from Mackenzie Lager put Rock Port back in front 21-20, but then Lauren Herndon and Jacquelyn Cline hit 3-pointers and Herndon added a free throw to make it 27-21 before Baucom's free throws cut it to 27-23.
But then Baucom threatened to take over the game as Rock Port got the ball into her at will, and she scored the first six points of the second half to make it 29-27. Cline got a free throw and Brown and Cline hit 3-pointers to make it 34-31 before Rylee Jenkins knocked one down from the high post to make it 34-33 after three.
A bad break early in the fourth swung the momentum to Rock Port when a loose carom bounced right to Johnny Davis and she was all alone to put Rock Port in front 35-34. Then, Jacquelyn Cline got hit in the head and had to come out. But Saryn Brown kept the team in the game as she scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter and tied it up at 41 with a 3-point play after getting a backdoor pass from Lauren Herndon with 3:50 left.
Rock Port moved back in front as Baucom scored from inside yet again, and then there was a heartstopping moment when the officials were going to give a foul to Jacquelyn Cline for her fifth, when she wasn't anywhere near the play. But they corrected it, and Cline made the most of her second chance, taking her game to a totally different level.
It looked like none of that would matter, as North Nodaway missed three straight 3-point attempts and had to start fouling; Rock Port moved up 46-41 with 1:09 left. But then Jadon Dobbins, who had been quiet most of the night, hit two free throws to keep North Nodaway's chances alive and made it 46-43. Rock Port, in the double bonus, then missed both free throws. Jadon Dobbins knocked the ball out of the much taller Mackenzie Lager's hands, Saryn Brown grabbed the ensuing board, and got it ahead to Lauren Herndon. She was wide open for a transition three, and connected to tie it up at 46 with 49 seconds. It was the kind of play that Regan Allee made for Worth County for four years.
Rock Port got it right back into Lager, who scored with 31 seconds to make it 48-46. North Nodaway tried to take it in, but Rock Port tied it up; fortunately, the possession arrow pointed to North Nodaway and they got another chance. This time, Jacquelyn Cline drove straight down the middle of the lane and hit a scoop shot with 9 seconds left to tie it up. Rock Port got it into Mackenzie Lager, and she had a chance to win it from her favorite spot in the high post, but it was heavily contested. Ellaina Renfro grabbed the ensuing board, and as Rock Port players were trying to poke it away, she ripped the ball away and got it off to Lauren Herndon as time expired in regulation.
It still didn't look good for North Nodaway, as Jadon Dobbins, Jacquelyn Cline, and Saryn Brown all had their fourth foul, and Lauren Herndon soon picked up her fourth as well. And in a carbon copy of the start of the fourth, Davis scooped up yet another loose carom and scored for Rock Port to start the extra period and make it 50-48. Jacquelyn Cline converted a 3-point play, but Kierstyn Jakub hit two free throws to put Rock Port in front 52-21. Lauren Herndon hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to put North Nodaway in front 54-52, but Baucom bulldozed down the left baseline to tie it again at 54.
At that point, it was reasonable to wonder how many overtimes this one would take; one of the officials, Kolton Jones, had worked the 117-111 Worth County loss to Lafayette that took six overtimes. There was another heartstopping moment for North Nodaway that swung the momentum in their favor on the ensuing possession. Jacquelyn Cline drove the lane, drew Jakub's fifth foul, and went to the line to shoot her free throws. Right as she was trying to shoot her free throw with the game tied, the scorekeeper buzzed the referees over to the table for something. But somehow, the shot found nothing but net; the basket counted, and she made her second to make it 56-54 and put North Nodaway up for good.
There were still several twists and turns; Rock Port had a chance to tie it after North Nodaway got a stop and Jadon Dobbins missed a runner. Saryn Brown picked up her fifth foul and Rock Port went to the line with a chance to tie. But both free throws went astray and North Nodaway did not look back. While North Nodaway shot 12 for their last 13 from the line after starting off 6 for 13, Rock Port shot 4 for their last 11, including the last two minutes and overtime.
Cline made two more free throws, and then Rock Port missed a 3-pointer, and Jacquelyn Cline tied up Baucom on the ensuing rebound; the possession arrow pointed to North Nodaway. Jadon Dobbins made one out of two with 30 seconds, but then Rock Port threw another scare into the Mustangs as Kylie Nuckolls hit a 3-pointer with Karissa Oberhauser all over her to cut it to 59-57.
With Rock Port frantically pressing and trying to get the steal, Jacquelyn Cline got a screen from Lauren Herndon and got behind the defense and was all alone for a wide open layup to make it 61-57 after Jadon Dobbins aired it out. Johnny Davis made a runner to cut it to two again with 7.7 seconds left, but North Nodaway inbounded it to Jacquelyn Cline in the backcourt; she held it and Rock Port could not get her fouled until there was 0.4 seconds left on the clock. She made both her free throws to clinch the game.
Jacquelyn Cline had 26 points, Lauren Herndon 17, Saryn Brown 15, and Jadon Dobbins 6.
Saryn Brown had 9 boards. Lauren Herndon had 8, Jacquelyn Cline 7, Jadon Dobbins 6, Karissa Oberhauser 4, and Ellaina Renfro 3, including the one big one at the end of regulation.
Jadon Dobbins, Saryn Brown, and Jacquelyn Cline had 5 assists. Lauren Herndon had 2.
Jadon Dobbins had 13 tips. Saryn Brown and Lauren Herndon had 5 each. Jacquelyn Cline had 2, and Ellaina Renfro and Angelina Parker had 1 each.
Jadon Dobbins had 3 steals. Lauren Herndon had 2, and Ellaina Renfro and Saryn Brown had 1 each.
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