Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Brylee Rush's 3rd Quarter Buzzer Beater Helps Tigers Hold Off Rock Port

Brylee Rush hit a buzzer beater right when the Tigers needed it and played a good floor game all night for Worth County as they cooled down a red hot Rock Port squad and ended their three game winning streak with a 52-43 win Tuesday night, January 24th. Kynah Steele and Ali Brown both got 16 for the Tigers, but it was Brylee who stepped up her game to help Worth County bounce back after a forgettable 51-38 loss to Pattonsburg the game before.

Against the Panthers, Worth County rebounded well, but 25 turnovers turned out to be their undoing; Katelyn Jones scored 15 points directly off errant Tiger passes. Against Rock Port, another team that is good at pressuring the ball, they still had 21, but they managed to play through them and get the win.

Rock Port led in the early going in a low scoring first quarter, but then Rylee Ruckman, who got the start in Tuesday's game, rushed the ball up the floor with 1:35 left and nobody picked her up, allowing her to hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 5. #15 scored for Rock Port to make it 7-5, but Ruckman hit a free throw after getting a steal and then hit Ali Brown cutting inside with 5 seconds left in the first to give Worth County the 8-7 lead after one.

The Blue Jays took an early 11-9 lead in the second, but then Worth County started finishing at the rim like coach Tiffany Bliley had been wanting them to do all year. First, Ali Brown got loose inside for two. Then, Kynah Steele after Brown kept a possession alive. Brown got loose in transition, and then Steele scored off a drive to put Worth County in front 17-11. Worth County led by as much as 21-14, but aided by a couple of missed free throws, Rock Port fought their way back to within 23-20 by the half.

Four different Tigers scored to start the third quarter as Kynah Steele hit a 3-pointer, Ali Brown scored from inside, Rylee Ruckman hit a 3-pointer, and then Hailey Adwell hit a shot from the top of the key after Kynah kept a possession alive with an offensive rebound. That made it 33-22. But Rock Port does not give up easily and they started getting steals off their press and Worth County was hacking and fouling on defense. Rock Port chipped away at the line, getting their deficit down to 35-32. Kynah Steele scored twice to make it 39-32, but the hacking and fouling and the turnovers continued as Rock Port got it back down to 39-36. But then Taylor Sanders got the ball to Brylee Rush, and she took on two defenders to score at the third quarter buzzer to make it 41-36 and swing the momentum back to the Tigers.

Rock Port started getting key players in foul trouble in the fourth, which hurt their ability to pressure the ball, and Worth County took much better care of the ball in the fourth quarter. The score was stuck at 41-36 for almost three minutes, but then Brylee Rush, who was in trouble, somehow got a pass away and it somehow got through to Ali Brown and she finished with 5:04 left to make it 43-36. Then, Kynah Steele pushed one ahead to Paige Sherer, who found Brylee Rush for three to make it 46-36. #24's jumper cut it to 46-38, but Rush then found Taylor Sanders cutting inside. Taylor was surrounded by two defenders, but her prayer went high in the air and through the net. Ali Brown added two more to make it 50-38. 

#15 went coast to coast and threw up a prayer that went in with 1:42 left, but Kynah got the benefit of a charge/block call and hit both free throws to make it 52-40 with 1:01 left. Rock Port answered with a 3-pointer with 40 seconds to make it 52-43 and got a steal, but missed and Worth County was able to run out the clock.

Kynah Steele and Ali Brown had 16 points. Brylee Rush and Rylee Ruckman had 7 each, and Paige Sherer, Hailey Adwell, and Taylor Sanders had 2 each.

Kynah Steele had 1 block.

Kynah Steele had 11 boards. Ali Brown had 8, Brylee Rush 4, Liz Brown and Rylee Ruckman 3, Hailey Adwell 2, and Paige Sherer 1.

Brylee Rush had 6 assists. Kynah Steele had 5, Rylee Ruckman and Paige Sherer 2 each, and Ali Brown, Liz Brown, and Hailey Adwell 1 each.

Kynah Steele had 5 tips. Ali Brown, Liz Brown, and Hailey Adwell had 2 each and Rylee Ruckman had 1.

Ali Brown had 4 steals. Kynah Steele had 3, Rylee Ruckman 2, and Brylee Rush and Liz Brown had 1 each.

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