Cloverdale girls earn share of conference title

For the BannerGraphic

CLOVERDALE -- On Friday, the Cloverdale High School girls' varsity basketball team hosted West Central Conference rival Speedway in the final regular season game before the postseason begins at Cascade next week.

The Clovers managed to create history Friday as they knocked off the Sparkplugs, 87-82, in double overtime, earning a share of the West Central Conference title.

The Clovers were also celebrating both Hardwood Homecoming and senior night for Hannah Monnett and Heather Moon.

A victory would also give Cloverdale momentum going into next week's sectional, entering the tournament with a seven-game winning streak.

Speedway raced-out to a 22-11 lead in the first quarter by hitting 10-of-16 shots from the field, 63 percent, but the Clovers began to cut away at Speedway's lead after that point.

The home team outscored the Sparkplugs in each of the remaining quarters of regulation, 17-14, 14-8, and 24-22 in the fourth quarter, by out-hustling and out-rebounding Speedway.

The Clovers took their first lead of the game, 48-47, with 3:59 left in the fourth quarter and the game was tied at 56-56 with 58 seconds left, when a Speedway player was whistled for a technical foul.

In the next 30 seconds of play, Cloverdale hit 11-of-14 free throws to lead the Sparkplugs, 65-58, with 27 seconds left.

However, the visitors staged a furious comeback, hitting a three-point shot, a couple of two-point baskets, and a free throw in the final 14 seconds of regulation to tie the score at 66-all, and send the game into overtime.

Speedway opened-up a 76-71 lead in the overtime, with 1:29 showing on the clock, but the Clovers battled back, as Elizabeth Cheatham, Kristen McCammon, and Angela Koosman hit big shots and free throws to bring Cloverdale back.

Koosman calmly hit two pressure-packed free throws with two seconds left to tie the game and send it into the second overtime.

Cloverdale's defense throttled Speedway in the second overtime, using defensive substitutions of Heather Moon and Kristen Schroer, to limit the Sparkplugs to only three points, while Cheatham, McCammon, Chelsie Haltom, and Hannah Monnett scored in the final overtime, and the Clovers earned their victory and Conference Co-Championship, 87-82.

The Clovers won the game by hitting 32 percent of their three-point shots, only committing 10 turnovers in the entire game, and by out-rebounding the Sparkplugs, 55-37, with 27 of those Cloverdale rebounds on the offensive end of the floor.

"Our West Central Conference championship is the first time ever for Cloverdale," commented Cloverdale coach Bruce Cook after the game. "It's a nice thing for our school, and this all started four years ago.

"It has been a great season this year, winning the Putnam County Tournament, and sharing the Conference championship with Speedway," Cook added.

Cloverdale had five players scoring in double figures, with Monnett leading the way with 27. Koosman with 20, Cheatham with 11, and Haltom had 10. Schroer closed out the Clovers scoring with three points.

Cheatham, Monnett, and Koosman had double-doubles with 18, 12, and 12 rebounds each.

The Clovers travel to Cascade Wednesday night to play Monrovia in the first round of the Class 2A Sectionals. The game begins at 6 pm.

At Cloverdale

Cloverdale 11 17 14 24 13 8 -- 87

Speedway 22 14 8 22 13 3 -- 82

Cloverdale (14-7, 5-1 WCC) -- Monnett 8-18 8-10 27, Koosman 5-20 9-17 20, McCammon 4-16 0-1 11, Haltom 2-9 5-8 10, Moon 0-1 0-0 0, Schroer 1-2 1-2 3, Cheatham 4-13 8-15 16. Totals 24-79 FG 31-53 FT, 87 TP.

Speedway (13-6, 5-1 WCC) -- Jones 5-15 4-6 19, Miller 3-6 2-2 10, Heller 0-6 0-0 0, Tierney 6-11 7-11 19, Emerson 11-16 3-8 25, Anglea 4-8 0-0 8, Walton 0-1 1-2 1, White 0-1 0-0 0, Daniel 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-64 FG, 17-29 FT, 82 TP.

3-pt. FG - C 8-15 (Monnett 3-5, Koosman 1-3, McCammon 3-12, Haltom 1-5), S 7-23 (Jones 5-14, Miller 2-3, Heller 0-2, Tierney 0-2, Emerson 0-1, Walton 0-1). Rebounds - C 55 (Monnett 12, Koosman 12, McCammon 5, Haltom 4, Moon 1, Schroer 3, Cheatham 18), S 37 (Miller 4, Heller 4, Tierney 12, Emerson 12, Walton 1, White 2, Daniel 2). Blocks -- C 2 (Monnett 1, Cheatham 1), S 4 (Emerson 4). Assists -- C 13 (Monnett 1, Koosman 2, McCammon 4, Haltom 5, Cheatham 1), S 15 (Miller 14, Tierney 1). Steals -- C 10 (Monnett 1, Koosman 3, McCammon 2, Haltom 2, Cheatham 2), S 10 (Jones 3, Miller 1, Heller 1, Tierney 3, Emerson 1, Walton 1). Total fouls -- C 21, S 34. Fouled out -- Jones, Miller, Tierney, Emerson, and Anglea. Technical fouls -- Emerson. Turnovers - C 10, S 16.

Next game -- The Clovers travel to Cascade Wednesday night to play Monrovia in the first round of the Class 2A Sectionals. The game begins at 6 pm.