Northeast Nodaway’s girls posted season highs in points scored, breaking 40 for the first time all year despite being shorthanded. North Harrison needed a late outburst from Ava Rinehart, after she had not scored all game, to force overtime. The Shamrocks were also playing shorthanded that game. North Harrison finally took control in the extra period and won 54-49, denying the Bluejays their first win of the season. But the Bluejays were able to build on that game and win three nights later in Osborn, getting a last-second shot from Mylee Wilmes to win 27-26.
With the season not going the way they wanted it to, the Bluejays had two choices — fold or keep grinding and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Many college teams in their shoes have folded; for instance, the Kansas State Wildcats men’s basketball program fired its coach mid-season after they quit playing at home and suffered an embarrassing 91-62 loss to a previously slumping Cincinnati team that was shorthanded. But the Bluejays have been showing improvement since the start of the season, and finally broke the 30-point barrier regularly even against good teams after scoring 30 in only two of its first 16 games.
The Bluejays are hopeful that next year, with all but one of their players back for next year, the addition of incoming freshmen like Maddie Faustlin, Khloe Burns, and Kiley Yost, and a more stable coaching situation (the Bluejays are on their third coach in two years) will help them get back to .500.
For North Harrison, they were fighting a slump; after taking third in the Gilman City Tournament, they lost two heartbreakers to Albany and North Andrew as they reverted back to struggling to finish off close games. They were heavily favored to win a breather, but it was the Bluejays who jumped out on top after Blair Nelson grabbed an offensive board and flipped it in, Brianna Meyer got a steal and drive, and Nelson hit a free throw to put them up 8-4 midway through the first.
Hali Smith heated up to knot the game up at 9-9 for the Shamrocks after one, but once again, the Bluejays moved out in front again after Hayley Host hit a free throw and Blair Nelson hit a 3-pointer to make it 13-9 with 6:10 left in the second.
It looked like the ship would begin to right itself for the Shamrocks after Blair Nelson picked up her second foul and Brianna Meyer picked up her third. But after Hali Smith chipped away on the free throw line and got the Shamrock deficit down to 14-13, Mylee Wilmes promptly hit a 3-pointer to put the Bluejays back up four.
With Jaxcynn Hansel picking up her third foul, the Bluejays were the ones threatening to pull away after Brianna Meyer scored twice off passes from Piper Gray to make it 21-13.
But then Lani Briggs countered with a 3-pointer to stop the bleeding for the Shamrocks. As Hayley Yost picked up her third foul for the Bluejays, the Shamrocks kept coming as Addison Milligan hit a free throw with 33 seconds left to make it 21-17. Blair Nelson countered with a free throw for NEN with 12 seconds left, but North Harrison rushed it up the floor, and Hali Smith hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it 22-20.
The third quarter started with the teams trading blow for blow as Blair Nelson and Hayley Yost were connecting for Northeast and Hali Smith, Lani Briggs, and Jaxcynn Hansel connecting for the Shamrocks. But with the Bluejays leading 28-27, they put North Harrison on the ropes despite Yost going to the bench with four fouls as Mylee Wilmes hitting a 3-pointer and Blair Nelson scoring an inside shot and a pair of free throws to put the Bluejays up 35-27 at the end of three.
But then Addison Milligan slashed down the right side and cashed in at the free throw line to start the fourth. North Harrison got a stop, and then Jaxcynn Hansel aired it out to Ava Rinehart, who had not scored all game, to make it 35-31. Ava then stayed in the backcourt and stole the ensuing inbounds pass, turning it into two free throws to make it 35-33. After another stop, Hali Smith slashed down the right baseline and scored, drawing Brianna Meyer’s fourth foul, and converting a three-point play. Just like that, the Bluejay lead was gone, and the Shamrocks were ahead 36-35.
But just as it looked like the Bluejays were finished, they fought back as Blair Nelson knocked one down from the high post to put the Bluejays back ahead 37-36. Hali Smith knotted it up at the free throw line, but Hayley Yost put the Bluejays back up 40-37 after converting a three-point play in the post. Despite Yost subsequently picking up her fifth foul, Blair Nelson scored again to make it 42-37 with 3:58 left.
But Ava Rinehart resurrected North Harrison’s chances with a 3-pointer from the wing. Blair Nelson countered with a free throw, but Jaxcynn Hansel scored from inside and Ava Rinehart added a free throw after a steal to knot it up at 43 with 1:50 left.
Hali Smith got a steal, but subsequently missed a shot from the left wing, and the game remained tied. Northeast held it for the last shot. North Harrison got a tie-up with 39 seconds, but the possession arrow pointed to the Bluejays and the possession continued. Blair Nelson finally tried to split two defenders but traveled and the ball went back to the Shamrocks.
But Mylee Wilmes stole the ball back with 14 seconds left, and Lani Briggs fouled her during the scramble, putting Wilmes at the line. But she missed both tries, and Lani Briggs got loose with seven seconds left in transition to put the Shamrocks up 45-43.
The Bluejays had struggled to break full court presses all year, and the Shamrocks played full court denial on the subsequent inbounds play. But Brianna Meyer rushed it up the floor and found Blair Nelson at the buzzer to force overtime.
But the extra period belonged to the Shamrocks after Ava Rinehart started it off with a 3-pointer. Jaxcynn Hansel got a putback to make it 50-45, and with the Bluejays down to six players, one on the bench with five fouls, and two others with four, it was very difficult for them to get the ball back to make a game of it.
Rylee Scadden got on the board, cutting inside and scoring, but Lani Briggs countered with a 3-pointer to make it 53-47. Brianna Meyer hit a free throw with 1:21 left, but the Shamrocks started running out the clock, taking it down to 25 seconds before the Bluejays fouled Lani Briggs. She made one of two to make it 54-49.
Mylee Wilmes countered with a free throw to make it 54-49 with 18 seconds left, and Lani Briggs lost it out of bounds against the Bluejay pressure to give them one more chance. But Brianna Meyer missed a shot in the high post and the Shamrocks were able to run out the clock.
For Northeast Nodaway, Blair Nelson had 21, Hayley Yost had 10, Brianna Meyer 9, Mylee Wilmes 7, and Rylee Scadden 2.
Blair Nelson had 2 blocks.
Brianna Meyer had 14 boards, a career high. Blair Nelson had 11, Hayley Yost 8, Piper Gray 5, Rylee Scadden 4, and Mylee Wilmes 3.
Brianna Meyer had 6 assists. Piper Gray and Mylee Wilmes had 4, Blair Nelson 3, Rylee Scadden 2, and Hayley Yost 1.
Brianna Meyer had 3 tips. Hayley Yost, Blair Nelson, and Mylee Wilmes had 1.
Brianna Meyer had 5 steals. Mylee Wilmes and Hayley Yost had 1.
For North Harrison, Hali Smith had 18 points. Lani Briggs had 13, Ava Rinehart 12, Jaxcynn Hansel 8, and Addison Milligan 3.
Hali Smith had 5 blocks and Addison Milligan 1.
Hali Smith went beast mode on the boards with a career high 17. Addison Milligan had 12, also a career high. Jaxcynn Hansel had 12, Ava Rinehart 4, Lani Briggs 3, and Raegan Hogan 1.
Addison Milligan and Hali Smith had 5 assists. Ava Rinehart and Jaxcynn Hansel had 4 and Lani Briggs 1.
Ava Rinehart had 6 tips. Raedan Hogan and Lani Briggs had 3, Addison Milligan 2, and Hali Smith and Jaxcynn Hansel had 1.
Lani Briggs and Hali Smith had 4 steals. Ava Rinehart had 3 and Addison Milligan had 1.
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