North Nodaway’s girls rose from the dead Tuesday night, February 7th and beat Union Star 58-48 as Jacquelyn Cline hung 41 points on the Trojans, 32 in the second half.
Early on, the Mustangs showed some of the balanced scoring they had been looking for all year. Cline scored off a couple of drives, Angie Parker got a putback, and Ellaina Renfro knocked away a couple of Trojan passes and got a couple of steals. But Union Star countered with the same kind of relentless offensive pressure that floored the Mustangs two years ago on the same court, which caused coach Sami Jackson to lie down on the floor in disgust at one point after one of Mara Mitchell’s many drives. Mitchell has graduated, but Kenzie Pettijohn took her place this year and Kelly Clibon was working the post and Audrey Hodge was crashing the boards and cleaning up everything remotely close to her. The result was that the Trojans grabbed the early lead, 14-10 after one quarter, and it would only get worse in the second.
As North Nodaway went into the same tilt mode that they showed against Union Star two years ago, Pettijohn and Clibon hit some free throws and Hodge added a free throw to make it 21-10. The Mustangs turned it over five times in just under a three minute span, and things did not look well for them.
The foul trouble was mounting, with Jackie Wray getting four fouls and Lacy Riley and Ellaina Renfro getting three each, yet somehow, North Nodaway got it down to eight after Cline’s free throws. But by the half, Union Star was up 29-19 and it looked like it was shaping up to be the same kind of game as two years ago, when the Trojans built a big early lead and withstood North Nodaway’s frantic efforts in the second half to come back.
Cline started heating up for the Mustangs, but the Trojans still looked like they were in control at the 3:45 mark of the third after Pettijohn’s steal and free throws put the Trojans up 39-28. But Cline was just warming up, and all of a sudden, everyone was getting her the ball at will. Lacy Riley found Cline open for a drive, and then Lauren Herndon got loose in transition and found Cline open for three to make it 39-33. Audrey Hodge hit a tough shot over Renfro to make it 41-33, but then Cline slashed to the rim after a pass from Herndon. Lauren got a steal and fed Jackie for three, and then Lacy Riley added a free throw. Then, Cline got to the rim at the buzzer after Herndon got her the ball and all of a sudden, the Trojan lead was gone and the game was tied at 41. When the dust had settled, Cline had scored 21 points in the third quarter and carried the team on her shoulders.
Kelly Clibon got a putback to temporarily restore order and put Union Star up 43-41, but then Cline dropped one off to Lacy Riley, who hit from the left baseline to tie it at 43. Cline broke the tie, going down the left side after a pass from Addalea Barcus. Pettijohn countered with a free throw to make it 45-44, but then Cline got a steal with 3:23 left, got the benefit of a charge/block, and converted a three point play to make it 48-44.
Clibon fouled out trying to stop Cline from going to the basket, and she made both free throws to make it 50-44 with 2:14 left. Frustration set in for Union Star and one of their players knocked down Addalea Barcus, who knocked down both her free throws with 1:31 left to make it three possessions at 52-44. North Nodaway went 11 for their last 11 from the line to close out the game.
Jacquelyn Cline had 41 for the Mustangs, breaking her own school record set a few weeks ago against Albany. Lauren Herndon had 6, Lacy Riley 5, Addalea Barcus 4, and Angie Parker 2.
Lauren Herndon had 3 blocks. Lacy Riley, Addalea Barcus, and Ellaina Renfro had 1.
Angie Parker had 11 boards. Lauren Herndon had 9, Addalea Barcus 6, Ellaina Renfro and Lacy Riley 3 each, Jacquelyn Cline 2, and Jackie Wray 1.
Lauren Herndon had 8 assists. Addalea Barcus had 4, Angie Parker and Ellaina Renfro 3 each, and Lacy Riley and Jacquelyn Cline 1 each.
Ellaina Renfro had 3 tips. Angie Parker, Jacquelyn Cline, and Lauren Herndon had 2 each.
Lauren Herndon had 5 steals. Ellaina Renfro had 3, Angie Parker 2, and Lacy Riley and Jacquelyn Cline 1 each.
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