“By the rude bridge that arched the flood, their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, here once the embattled farmers stood and fired the shot heard round the world.” – Emerson
While the battleground was not nearly as significant, the impact was immediate. Erin Virtue, normally a role player for the Shamrocks, hit a buzzer beating three pointer at the end of the third quarter in the consolation round of the Gilman City Tournament with North Harrison facing elimination at the hands of Union Star and having just lost a heartbreaker to Tri-County in the first round. Union Star was completely outplaying and outworking the Shamrocks up to that point and had built some separation. North Harrison had rallied, but the Trojans were still in control.
Zoey McQuate hit a free throw with 7.4 seconds left in the third quarter to put Union Star up 27-20, but in a sequence that had symbolized North Harrison’s play up to that point, she missed the second free throw, only for Audrey Hodge to grab the offensive board and draw the foul.
But in a turn of events that swung things back in North Harrison’s favor, Hodge missed both free throws and North Harrison pushed the ball up the floor. Camden Castleberry found Erin Virtue on the left wing, Virtue let it fly and it was nothing but net at the buzzer. Somehow, despite being completely outplayed and outworked up to that point, North Harrison was only down 27-23 going into the fourth.
It’s too early to tell what kind of an impact this play will have at this point, although North Harrison not only won that game 42-37, but won the next as well to get Consolation. But something similar happened to them in junior high back in 2017, when the Shamrocks started off the season 0-3. In their fourth game, Camden Castleberry came off a ball screen to hit a buzzer beating three pointer at the half to break up a close game, and the Shamrocks won the game and went on to win 10 out of their last 13 games to go 10-6.
Things didn’t immediately turn around, as after Jayliegh Robins grabbed a putback to make it 27-25, she rolled her ankle with 6:43 left while scrambling for a loose ball and came out. The score was stuck at 27-25 for the next few minutes, until Halle Morgan hit two free throws to finally tie it up.
Hodge scored from inside to put Union Star back up 29-27, but Robins had come back in by then and North Harrison was a totally different team at that point and Camden Castleberry hit back to back jacks to put the Shamrocks in front 33-29 at the 3:18 mark.
Union Star was not done, as Kelly Clibon hit two free throws to cut it to 33-31 and the Trojans got a stop, but they missed a go-ahead three and had to start fouling. Camden Castleberry hit two free throws to make it 35-31 with 1:27 left.
Mara Mitchell scored from inside to cut it in half with 1:11 let, but Trendi Johnson countered with two free throws with 53 seconds left to make it 37-33. Mitchell drew a foul, but missed both free throws. Audrey Hodge got the board, but missed the putback try and the rebound went out of bounds off Union Star.
Mitchell fouled out, and Camden hit one of two, only for Zoey McQuate to hit a 3-pointer at the top of the key to make it 38-36 with 29 seconds left. But Camden kept hitting her free throws, getting two with 16 seconds left to make it 40-36. Hodge made one of two with 9 seconds left, and Camden made both free throws with 7.2 seconds left to finally seal it and give North Harrison the 42-37 win.
Up to that point, the game had looked like a complete mismatch in Union Star’s favor. Camden Castleberry’s 3-pointer put North Harrison in front 9-8 with 1:22 left in the first quarter, only for Clibon to get the hot hand for Union Star, scoring eight in a row to make it 16-9. The Trojans were flying to the offensive glass, getting 22 for the night, and getting on the line as well.
The Shamrocks trailed by as much as 26-14 in the third quarter before they finally started coming back, getting baskets from Erin Virtue, Trendi Johnson, and Jaci Davis to cut it to 26-20. But the Trojans were still in control before Virtue’s 3-pointer at the third quarter changed the momentum.
Camden Castleberry hit 20 for North Harrison, 13 coming in the last quarter. Trendi Johnson had 8, Erin Virtue 5, Jayliegh Robins 4, Halle Morgan 3, and Jaci Davis 2.
Halle Morgan had 9 boards. Jayliegh Robins had 6, Trendi Johnson, Jaci Davis, and Erin Virtue 5, Camden Castleberry 3, and Carmon Fordyce 2.
Trendi Johnson had 5 assists. Camden Castleberry had 3, and Erin Virtue and Jaci Davis 1.
Halle Morgan and Jayliegh Robins had 5 tips each. Camden Castleberry had 4, Erin Virtue 3, and Jaci Davis and Trendi Johnson 2 each.
Trendi Johnson had 6 steals. Jaci Davis had 4, Camden Castleberry and Erin Virtue had 3 each, and Erica Gerken, Jayliegh Robins, and Halle Morgan had 1 each.
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