Northeast Nodaway’s girls couldn’t hold an 11 point halftime lead against Mound City Thursday and fell 37-34 in the District Semifinals. Previously, Northeast had beaten Mound City handily, but in the meantime, the Panthers had gotten much better. The Bluejays had lived on the edge all year, down to just eight players after losing two players for the year due to injury. For most of the year, it was enough. But in the end, the numbers game came back to bite them. Northeast surprised a lot of people by improving from three wins last year to 17 this year. The goal will be to get more numbers and excitement for the team for next year so that the Bluejays can finish off more games and have fresh legs at the end.
This game started out like the last one, with Baylie Busby and Dalanie Auffert attacking the paint as the Bluejays built up a 10-7 lead at the 3:15 mark. Elizabeth Laukemper cut it to 10-9, but Jill Boswell kept a possession alive and hit Busby for three to make it 13-9.
With Busby carrying the load for Northeast with 9 of her team’s 13 first quarter points, Mound City went to a box and one, but then Hadley DeFreece shot them out of it with two 3-pointers as the lead grew to 21-10 at the half.
But all of a sudden, a different Mound City team came out of the locker room to start the second half. Somehow or another, like sharks smelling blood in the water, they sensed that the Bluejays were tired and came out of their box and one and switched to a suffocating man to man, trapping people in the corners. Sydney Meadows had the hot hand early for the Panthers cut it to 23-19. Then, Kadee Crider, who had been ice cold in both the Worth County game and in the first two quarters of the NEN game, got the hot hand, hitting back to back jacks to put her team in front 25-23. Coaches always tell their shooters to keep shooting, and Crider’s outburst was a good reason why. Miranda Rieger’s transition shot put them up 27-23.
At that point, with 10 turnovers in the quarter and nothing going their way, Northeast could have folded like they did many times the last few years. But Busby went coast to coast to break the run, Dalanie Auffert added a free throw to cut it to 27-26, and then Sasha Deardorff hit a 3-pointer to start the fourth to put the Bluejays back in front 29-27.
The teams traded blows throughout the fourth quarter, with Busby’s free throws putting Northeast up 31-29 with 3:04 left in the game. But points were hard to come by, and with just two team fouls, Mound City could afford to be very aggressive on defense and swarm at every opportunity.
Finally, Crider struck twice more, the second time with a hand in her face with 1:21 left, to put Mound City in front 35-34. Baylie Busby missed a runner, but a tieup went back to Northeast. But on the inbounds play, with Northeast out of timeouts, another tieup went back to Mound City and Northeast had to foul.
The Bluejays put Sydney Meadows on the line, and she made one of two with 28 seconds left to put the Panthers up 36-34. Miranda Rieger, one of the Panthers’ most improved post players this year, nearly came up with the offensive board, but it went out of bounds and the ball went back to Northeast.
Mound City still had fouls to give, and they continued to swarm and trap at every opportunity. Finally, Sasha Deardorff was called for a charge to give the ball back to Mound City.
Northeast fouled Elizabeth Laukemper with 4.8 seconds and she made one of two to put Mound City up 37-34. Northeast secured the board after the second miss, and Baylie Busby rushed it up the floor with a chance to tie. But her off balance 30-footer was short as time expired.
Baylie Busby had 17 points for the Bluejays. Dalanie Auffert had 8, Hadley DeFreece 6, and Sasha Deardorff 3.
Dalanie Auffert had 3 blocks. Baylie Busby, Hadley DeFreece, and Jill Boswell all had 1.
Dalanie Auffert had 9 boards. Baylie Busby had 8, Sasha Deardorff and Jill Boswell 4 each, and Hadley DeFreece and Mylee Wilmes 1 each.
Jill Boswell had 3 assists. Hadley DeFreece, Dalanie Auffert, and Baylie Busby had 2, and Sasha Deardorff 1.
Baylie Busby had 4 tips. Jill Boswell had 2, and Hadley DeFreece 1. Baylie Busby had 2 steals, while Hadley DeFreece and Jill Boswell had 1 each.
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