Menu
Last-second shot gives Eagles victory over North
A back-and-forth game throughout at South Putnam saw the Eagle girls' basketball team beat North Putnam 23-22 in a contest that came down to the final possession.
"We got off to a slow start," Eagle coach Tim Garver. "With it being a senior night we got off to a slow start. We never could get going. Finally some things started happening for us but all the way through the third quarter we were slow."
Junior Katie Hewitt scored six points in the first quarter for the Eagles but senior Kayla Clodfelter's three-pointer helped North Putnam with the early 10-8 lead.
In the second quarter points were scarce once the Eagles went to a full-court zone defense.
"We were hoping we could jump them and get some quick turnovers and baskets," Garver said. "A lot of times we could get the turnover and we'd turn the ball back over to them. We were able to score a few baskets off of turnovers and that helped us out and got things going."
Each team struggled offensively and excelled defensively and the score was knotted at 14 going into the third quarter.
"They do a couple of different things," Cougar coach Jim Spencer said. "We just had to get people in the right situations. We made some poor passing decisions in the first half. In the second half we struggled with the pressure. We've talked about it. We've worked on but we couldn't get squared up and we made some poor outlet passes."
The game remained close and low scoring in the third. Only senior Taylor Nauert and sophomore Emilee Henninger scored for the Lady Cougars and only freshman Lillie Stein for the Eagles.
"We just kept trying to make good decisions," Spencer said. "We tried to eliminate some poor decisions. Anytime you can keep a game within one or two points, you've always got an opportunity. So just try to make the best out of each opportunity and try to make good decisions."
In the fourth the game was close and still low scoring. With less than a minute Eagle freshman Miranda Bieghler fired a shot from long range that would've given the hosts a two-point lead. She was off target but Stein tracked the rebound and managed the game-winning shot from the paint.
"I wasn't sure I was going to make it," Stein said. "All you have to do is go up strong and whatever happens, happens."
North had a chance to get the go-ahead bucket but was unable to convert on the final scoring opportunity. North Putnam ends its season at 5-16.
"I thought we played well defensively and I thought we rebounded well," Spencer said. "There at the end it's hard to block out an air ball. We couldn't find it and their player was able to grab it and put it in the hole. I thought in the last seconds we did everything right to try to get a basket we just couldn't down there and get it in the hole."
With the win South Putnam finishes the season at 11-11 and Garver is pleased with the season and the direction his new team is headed.
"I'm so proud of these girls," Garver said. "All year long we've preached to them. 'Play defense, play defense.' There are times when your shots don't fall or you don't get the best looks that you want but there is no excuse for not playing defense. So I'm really proud of these kids. They come into practice and work every day just to be a little better.
"This is a close game it's got that sectional atmosphere because in the sectional you'll never know what can happen."
At South Putnam
North Putnam 10 4 4 4 --22
South Putnam 8 6 2 7--23
Individual stats
North Putnam 10- 35 22, Clodfelter 3-8 0-3 7, Nauert 3-14 6, Henninger 3-6 6, Ma. Smith 1-5 2, Mindiola 0-3 1-2 1; South Putnam 9-36 Stein 4-12 8, Hewitt 3-6 2-4 8, Dobson 1-5 2-2 4, Bieghler 1-8 3
Team Stats
3-point shots North Putnam 1-7 (Clodfelter 1-1) South Putnam 1-10 (Bieghler 1-4) Rebounds North Putnam 25 (Nauert 9, Mindiola 5, Henninger 5, Ma Smith 4, Clodfelter 1, Evens 1, Assists North Putnam 6 (Clodfelter 2, Mindiola 1, Nauert 1, Henninger 1, Ma Smith 1, South Putnam 2 (Hewitt 1, Modglin 1) Steals North Putnam 10 Henninger 4, Clodfelter 2, Ma Smith 2, Nauert 1, Mindiola 1 North Putnam 1 Nauert 1 Fouls North Putnam 9 South Putnam 11