Lady Eagles defeat Clovers in overtime at South Putnam

Saturday, January 31, 2015
Eagle Ariel Higgins heads up the court after a steal.(Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT)

When South Putnam and Cloverdale met in the Putnam County Tournament Nov. 21, the Clover girls stole out of the Eagle gym with a hard-fought three-point win.

Fast forward two months to the same venue and the rematch, which had even more drama as the two teams needed overtime Friday before the hosts claimed a 51-48 victory.

South Putnam head coach Tim Garver said a shift at halftime to quicker ball movement paid dividends in the second half.

"Cloverdale did a good job defending our post in the first half and we struggled getting the ball inside," Garver said. "At halftime, we made an adjustment, upped the defense, moved the ball quicker and got the ball inside and got it to overtime."

Cloverdale came out with a point to prove after dropping seven straight, scoring 17 points in the opening quarter to hold a five-point lead over the hosts.

Cloverdale head coach Matthew Langdon was impressed with the effort of the girls in the first quarter and throughout the game.

"I'm extremely proud of our girls' effort," Langdon said. "We came in with a great mindset, brought a lot of energy into this game and you could see those from the tip.

"We've talked about getting better throughout the year and though we've had a rough couple of weeks, I thought the girls played extremely hard. They didn't back down."

After the initial offensive outburst, the defenses took command of the game as the Eagles could only muster four points in the second quarter and gave the Clovers an unwanted hand by accidentally scoring a basket in the visitors' hoop, allowing Cloverdale to take a 26-16 lead into the break.

South Putnam responded to the first half with a 12-point third quarter fueled by freshmen Miranda Bieghler and Lillie Stein.

The pair combined for 10 points in the quarter to bring the Eagles to within a point of the Clovers, trailing 29-28 heading into the fourth.

Cloverdale scored six of the first seven points to open the quarter before South Putnam rallied, tying the score at 37-37 after a Bieghler three and taking their first lead of the game on an Emily Dobson basket.

Katie Hewitt doubled the lead with a basket at the 1:10 mark before Hailey Hamm buried a three to cut the deficit to one at 41-40.

Bieghler could only hit one-of-two free throws with eight seconds left, allowing the visitors to get the ball in to Abby Walker for a game-tying basket that sent the contest into overtime.

Langdon said the will to continue fighting until the end was important to see from the team.

"There was zero give-up out there tonight," Langdon said. "Even when it looked like the game could be over, we pushed up the floor, Payton Dorsett had a great assist and Abby Walker hit the big shot.

"It was neat for her and for Cloverdale girls' basketball just to be a part of that moment. It showed the heart that we brought to this game."

Stein took the tip-off of the extra frame to the basket, only to watch Cloverdale score six straight points in response through Laura Worthington, Hamm and Mariah Huge.

Hewitt was fouled on a lay-up and though she missed the free throw, Ariel Higgins grabbed the offensive board and eventually Hewitt scored again to tie the game at 48-48.

Higgins then grabbed a steal but missed the go-ahead bucket, only to be matched when Worthington missed a look that would have given the Clovers the lead.

On the ensuing possession, Jenna Carmichael hit the eventual game-winning shot to give the Eagles a 50-48 lead.

Stein would be fouled and hit one-of-two free throws, giving the visitors another last-shot chance but no basket was forthcoming as the hosts claimed their 10th win of the season.

Garver praised the squad for their ability to adapt, their drive and their belief in one another.

"This is exactly the same thing that we had at Greencastle," Garver said. "They went up by a few baskets, like tonight, and we told the kids we have to start playing smart basketball.

"I'm telling you, these girls are starting to believe. Every time we play, we get a step closer to where we want to be and I'm so happy with these kids and they way they fought through this."


At South Putnam

Cloverdale 17 9 3 13 6 -- 48

South Putnam 12 4 12 14 9 -- 51

Statistics

Scoring

Cloverdale -- 18-48 FG, 3-11 3-FG, 9-16 FT -- Stevens 14, Worthington 14, Hamm 12, Huge 3, Walker 2, Dorsett 1, Pieper 0, Smith 0, Team 2

South Putnam -- 21-58 FG, 2-8 3-FG, 7-17 FT -- Bieghler 14, Stein 11, Hewitt 10, Dobson 7, Modglin 5, Carmichael 3, Higgins 1, McHugh 0, Lady 0

Rebounding (Offensive)

Cloverdale 21 (5); South Putnam 30 (13)

Assist

Cloverdale 8; South Putnam 11

Steals

Cloverdale 8; South Putnam 9

Blocks

Cloverdale 0; South Putnam 0

Turnovers

Cloverdale 20; South Putnam 15

Fouls

Cloverdale 18; South Putnam 14

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