Great Expectations: LC takes home sectional title in OT win
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LUCASVILLE — The Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs are headed to the district tournament.
Though it took an overtime period, the Lady Mustangs, once again, left Valley High School as sectional champions, defeating the Adena Warriors, 53-47, Saturday afternoon.
LC (14-7) entered the game as a No. 6 seed in the Division III SE District Sectional tournament, and while the Adena Lady Warriors were the No. 3 seed, it was an expectation for the Lady Mustangs to win the sectional championship once again.
"A sectional at Lynchburg-Clay, to me, is an expectation," LC head coach Tiffany Barnett said following her first tournament game as head coach. "It is something we expect to do. I talked to the girls before the game on how this was feasible for us, and you are expected to win. They knew that and knew they could, it was just a matter of showing up and doing it."
In their last seven games, LC is 6-1, with a current win streak of two.
Brooke Hertlein, an LC junior, led LC with a double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. The junior also tallied three blocks and two assists.
"Brooke played great," Barnett said. "She had a mis-match, and we tried to take advantage of her in the middle. Laney had the biggest girl guarding her. Brooke, all week, has been working hard on the post, and it was just one of those things where she stepped up and took control of the middle. She did an excellent job. She just played a good all-around ballgame."
The game came down to the overtime period, as the fourth frame was tied at 45 when the buzzer sounded.
That's when the Lady Mustangs decided it was their time to take over the game, which is what they did.
Adena was first to break the tie with points from Autumn Smith, who finished with a game-high 23 points. She broke the tie with 3:16 left in OT. In the fourth quarter, Smith scored 10 points, but was held to two points in OT.
Hertlein came back with a free throw, but then it was senior Meredith Fittro who knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:49 remaining on the clock.
Fittro came back again with more points, this time going straight to the hoop for an LC lead of 51-47, leaving 1:12 left in OT. Adena attempted many opportunities to cut the the LC lead, but their shots were unable to fall. LC sophomore Laney Lewis sank two free throws to seal the win.
In the OT period, LC picked up on its defense, which Barnett told her team during a timeout late in the extra period.
"I don't think we communicated well on our defensive possessions all night, but I told them (in OT) that was the best defensive possession you've had the whole ballgame," Barnett said. "It was just a matter of doing it."
LC had not only Hertlein score in double figures, but two others, as Hannah Blanenship tallied 15 points and Fittro scored 11. Blankenship also had six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Fittro was 4-of-7 from the field, along with two rebounds, one assist and one steal. Also scoring for LC was Laney Lewis with two points.
At times in the sectional final, LC missed easy opportunities underneath the hoop, allowing the Lady Warriors to chip away at the LC lead throughout the game.
"It is just a matter of making (shots)," Barnett said. "We shot and shot this week … it's all mental mistakes, in my opinion."
Getting to the overtime period was a roller-coaster ride for the Lady Mustangs as they led 13-10 after the first quarter and 28-27 at halftime.
Blankenship was first to score for LC with 5:30 left in the frame, but LC already trailed 6-0 via a three-point play by Smith and 3-pointer from Hannah Halcomb.
Trailing 8-2, Blankenship kept LC in the game with a 3-pointer at the 2:59 mark, and Hertlein and Fittro combined for eight points in the final 1:41 of the first to put LC up three points.
"We got off to a rough start. I don't think we played terribly well," Barnett said. "I don't think that was a great ballgame for us, but we still won, so I think that speaks volumes about how good we possibly could be if we all show up and play together."
The score was tied three times in the second at 15, 17 and 25. In a span of 1:45 of the second, Smith, Jenny Grigsby and Brytan Givens led Adena to a 10-3 run. Givens tallied seven points.
But it was Blankenship, again, who led LC by not only hitting the 3-pointer during Adena's run, but another one at the buzzer of the second, banking it off the glass, giving LC a one-point lead at halftime.
"Hannah carried us in the first half," Barnett said. "She knocked down shots and kept us in it. She gave us momentum going into halftime."
LC broke away in the third, leading by seven points once the buzzer sounded. The score was tied at 29 when Hertlein made a free throw early in the quarter. She then put LC up for the remainder of the third with a jumper at the 5:32 mark.
Lillian Blankenship increased the LC lead with a jump shot. Lillian Blankenship made three baskets in the third, including one with 15 seconds left in the frame, for the seven-point LC lead.
Adena outscored LC 11-6 in the fourth, tying the game at 43 with 2:54 remaining in regulation. Hertlein came right back down the court with a basket to put LC up by two points. The game was sent into OT when Smith scored two points with 41 seconds remaining.
The win sends LC to the district tournament at Waverly High School. LC will now face Williamsburg, as they defeated Wellston 49-28 at Rock Hill High School in their sectional final game. LC and Williamsburg will play on Monday, Feb. 28 with a scheduled tip-off at 8 p.m.
GAME NOTES: LC outscored AHS 25-20 in the second half/OT … AHS was 8-of-12 from the free-throw line … LC was 7-of-13 in FT shooting … LC committed 15 fouls … AHS had 15 fouls (10 in second half).[[In-content Ad]]
Though it took an overtime period, the Lady Mustangs, once again, left Valley High School as sectional champions, defeating the Adena Warriors, 53-47, Saturday afternoon.
LC (14-7) entered the game as a No. 6 seed in the Division III SE District Sectional tournament, and while the Adena Lady Warriors were the No. 3 seed, it was an expectation for the Lady Mustangs to win the sectional championship once again.
"A sectional at Lynchburg-Clay, to me, is an expectation," LC head coach Tiffany Barnett said following her first tournament game as head coach. "It is something we expect to do. I talked to the girls before the game on how this was feasible for us, and you are expected to win. They knew that and knew they could, it was just a matter of showing up and doing it."
In their last seven games, LC is 6-1, with a current win streak of two.
Brooke Hertlein, an LC junior, led LC with a double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. The junior also tallied three blocks and two assists.
"Brooke played great," Barnett said. "She had a mis-match, and we tried to take advantage of her in the middle. Laney had the biggest girl guarding her. Brooke, all week, has been working hard on the post, and it was just one of those things where she stepped up and took control of the middle. She did an excellent job. She just played a good all-around ballgame."
The game came down to the overtime period, as the fourth frame was tied at 45 when the buzzer sounded.
That's when the Lady Mustangs decided it was their time to take over the game, which is what they did.
Adena was first to break the tie with points from Autumn Smith, who finished with a game-high 23 points. She broke the tie with 3:16 left in OT. In the fourth quarter, Smith scored 10 points, but was held to two points in OT.
Hertlein came back with a free throw, but then it was senior Meredith Fittro who knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:49 remaining on the clock.
Fittro came back again with more points, this time going straight to the hoop for an LC lead of 51-47, leaving 1:12 left in OT. Adena attempted many opportunities to cut the the LC lead, but their shots were unable to fall. LC sophomore Laney Lewis sank two free throws to seal the win.
In the OT period, LC picked up on its defense, which Barnett told her team during a timeout late in the extra period.
"I don't think we communicated well on our defensive possessions all night, but I told them (in OT) that was the best defensive possession you've had the whole ballgame," Barnett said. "It was just a matter of doing it."
LC had not only Hertlein score in double figures, but two others, as Hannah Blanenship tallied 15 points and Fittro scored 11. Blankenship also had six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Fittro was 4-of-7 from the field, along with two rebounds, one assist and one steal. Also scoring for LC was Laney Lewis with two points.
At times in the sectional final, LC missed easy opportunities underneath the hoop, allowing the Lady Warriors to chip away at the LC lead throughout the game.
"It is just a matter of making (shots)," Barnett said. "We shot and shot this week … it's all mental mistakes, in my opinion."
Getting to the overtime period was a roller-coaster ride for the Lady Mustangs as they led 13-10 after the first quarter and 28-27 at halftime.
Blankenship was first to score for LC with 5:30 left in the frame, but LC already trailed 6-0 via a three-point play by Smith and 3-pointer from Hannah Halcomb.
Trailing 8-2, Blankenship kept LC in the game with a 3-pointer at the 2:59 mark, and Hertlein and Fittro combined for eight points in the final 1:41 of the first to put LC up three points.
"We got off to a rough start. I don't think we played terribly well," Barnett said. "I don't think that was a great ballgame for us, but we still won, so I think that speaks volumes about how good we possibly could be if we all show up and play together."
The score was tied three times in the second at 15, 17 and 25. In a span of 1:45 of the second, Smith, Jenny Grigsby and Brytan Givens led Adena to a 10-3 run. Givens tallied seven points.
But it was Blankenship, again, who led LC by not only hitting the 3-pointer during Adena's run, but another one at the buzzer of the second, banking it off the glass, giving LC a one-point lead at halftime.
"Hannah carried us in the first half," Barnett said. "She knocked down shots and kept us in it. She gave us momentum going into halftime."
LC broke away in the third, leading by seven points once the buzzer sounded. The score was tied at 29 when Hertlein made a free throw early in the quarter. She then put LC up for the remainder of the third with a jumper at the 5:32 mark.
Lillian Blankenship increased the LC lead with a jump shot. Lillian Blankenship made three baskets in the third, including one with 15 seconds left in the frame, for the seven-point LC lead.
Adena outscored LC 11-6 in the fourth, tying the game at 43 with 2:54 remaining in regulation. Hertlein came right back down the court with a basket to put LC up by two points. The game was sent into OT when Smith scored two points with 41 seconds remaining.
The win sends LC to the district tournament at Waverly High School. LC will now face Williamsburg, as they defeated Wellston 49-28 at Rock Hill High School in their sectional final game. LC and Williamsburg will play on Monday, Feb. 28 with a scheduled tip-off at 8 p.m.
GAME NOTES: LC outscored AHS 25-20 in the second half/OT … AHS was 8-of-12 from the free-throw line … LC was 7-of-13 in FT shooting … LC committed 15 fouls … AHS had 15 fouls (10 in second half).[[In-content Ad]]