Light at the End of the Tunnel for Worth County Girls?

During their recent one and a half year drought, Worth County’s girls have had false hope before. But last Monday’s 47-46 loss to perennial powerhouse Mount Ayr showed that their turnaround against St. Joseph Christian the game before was no accident, but a matter of improvement from their part.

The Mount Ayr game took the same course of events. A Rylee Ruckman three point play fueled by a Kynah Steele steal cut an early Tiger deficit to 11-8, but it looked like just another blowout after Mount Ayr jumped out to a 17-8 lead at one point. The Tigers hung around for most of the first half, keeping the deficit under double digits. But then, it appeared that the bottom had dropped out when the Raiderettes took a 36-24 halftime lead and raised it to 39-24 early in the third.

But all of a sudden, Worth County started hanging around. It wasn’t any one player who went off for the Tigers. It wasn’t one particular play that got the momentum turned around; it was simply hard work on both ends of the floor. Worth County ran a perfectly executed high low play from Ali Brown to Kynah Steele, Hailey Adwell, who returned from an injury sustained against Christian and who played the whole game, knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 39-29. The black shirts rebuilt their lead to 12, only for Paige Sherer to knock down a 3-pointer late in the third to make it 42-34 again.

From there, it was defense and rebounding on one end and solid possessions and staying away from giving up cheap buckets on the offensive end. Taylor Sanders knocked down a shot on the right wing off a kickout from Brylee Rush, Rylee Ruckman, playing her best game at the varsity level, went coast to coast set up by an Ali Brown block, and it was a 42-39 game with 4:44 left.

Mount Ayr went to the early stall in an effort to break the Tiger momentum, only for Kynah Steele to get a steal and make it 42-41. The Raiderettes got the ball into their big post player, who had all their fourth quarter points and made it 44-41, and they got a stop on defense. But then Paige Sherer blocked a shot on defense and that set up a coast to coast take by Rylee Ruckman and a three point play to make it 44-44 with 2:15 left.

Once again, Mount Ayr tried to run down the clock, taking 45 seconds off the clock, but lost it out of bounds with 1:30 left. On the ensuing Tiger possession, Mount Ayr knocked it into the backcourt, only for Worth County to recover it and continue the possession. Finally, Kynah Steele hit Liz Brown backdoor and Brown, who had hit a game winner for the Tigers last year against Rock Port, converted to give the Tigers the 46-44 lead with 1:10 left.

But then Mount Ayr hit two free throws to tie, Worth County threw it away, and Mount Ayr hit a free throw with 32 seconds left to regain the lead. The second free throw was missed, but the Raiderettes got the offensive board and ran it down to 18.7 before the Tigers could foul. They missed a 1-1, but a tieup went to Mount Ayr, who ran it down to 11.7 seconds before Kynah Steele finally knocked a ball off the red shirts.

Worth County took it down the court, but Mount Ayr knocked the ball loose twice and Worth County couldn’t get a shot off in the closing seconds.

For Worth County, Kynah Steele had 9. Ali Brown and Rylee Ruckman had 8, Taylor Sanders 6, Brylee Rush 5, Liz Brown 4, and Paige Sherer and Hailey Adwell 3 each. Worth County was 44% from the field.

Ali Brown had 7 boards. Rylee Ruckman and Kynah Steele had 4, Brylee Rush 3, Liz Brown 2, and Taylor Sanders, Paige Sherer, and Hailey Adwell 1 each.

Ali Brown had 4 assists. Kynah Steele had 3, Liz Brown 2, and Taylor Sanders, Brylee Rush, Paige Sherer, and Rylee Ruckman 1 each.

Kynah Steele had 7 steals. Ali Brown had 4, and Brylee Rush and Rylee Ruckman 1 each.

Ali Brown had 5 blocks and Paige Sherer 1.

Kynah Steele had 4 tips. Hailey Adwell had 3, Ali Brown 2, and Brylee Rush, Paige Sherer, and Liz Brown 1 each.

The Tigers nearly overcame 25 turnovers to give themselves a chance to win the game. If they can cut down their turnovers to 15, they are capable of beating anybody.