Lady Tigers end season with sectional loss to Logan Elm
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
FRANKFORT — Defense was the way to go Wednesday night at Adena High School, and the Logan Elm Lady Braves proved that against the McClain Lady Tigers in their Division II SE District Sectional game.
With the winner knowing they had to face the one-loss Miami Trace Lady Panthers in their next game this coming Saturday, it was a battle of epic proportions from both the Tigers and Braves (14-7) with the physicality shown on the court in each half. But after 14 lead changes (including ties), it was the Lady Braves who were left standing with the victory, defeating the home-team Tigers, 51-45.
The sectional semifinal game had two players score in double figures, the aforementioned 14 lead changes, and two fan bases who desperately wanted to see their team move on in post-season play.
"We knew how good they were from seeing them play the other night," MHS head coach Dennis Overstake said, who just wrapped up his 30th season as the varsity girls basketball coach.
McClain (15-6) entered the game as the No. 4 seed and the Lady Braves were a No. 5 seed, but none of that mattered when the game entered the fourth quarter, tied at 36.
That's when the intensity of the game reached its breaking point.
Logan Elm took the lead first in the fourth frame, 38-36, when Alexis Adcock sank a jumper, but after Taylor Saxton took a charge for LE, it was MHS junior Jenna Perie who kept the Lady Tigers in the game with inside points, tying the game at 38. Perie finished with a team-high 22 points. Perie had a double-double with 11 rebounds.
With 4:50 left in regulation, the McClain faithful rose to their feet in celebration with two free throws by Perie, putting the Lady Tigers back in the top spot by two points.
Again, the Lady Braves answered with a jumper, this time by Bailey Pontius, leaving just under 4:00 left in the quarter.
As the fourth progressed, so did the intensity of the game from both sides, but it was the Lady Braves who went to the hoop and took the lead for good.
Emily Robinson put LE up 42-41, and after MHS missed a couple opportunities at their basket, Nikki Young went to the hoop for LE untouched following a timeout to give the Lady Braves a three-point lead at 44-41, with under 2:00 left on the scoreboard.
Robinson, a 1,000-point scorer, finished the game-high in scoring with 23 points. She went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, while making eight two-point baskets and one 3-pointer.
"(Emily) Robinson had an extremely good night tonight," Overstake said. "There were times when we had two people on her, and she was still making shots over the top of them. She put them on her back."
McClain lost possession of the basketball due to an out-of-bounds call by the official, which set off a sequence of events, including a technical foul on the Lady Tigers. LE's Robinson made both free throws on the technical foul call, putting the Lady Braves up 46-41.
"I told the girls after the game it was two teams playing hard out there. We made a mistake, the other team took advantage of it, right there at the end we made a mistake when we were three points down. I made a mistake in talking to the official, so that is my mistake too," Overstake said.
After that, LE held the lead for good, fending off points from Perie and Chrissy Cobb.
For the game, McClain shot 43 percent from the field at 16-of-37, but the Lady Braves had a great night from the floor, going 20-of-39 for 51 percent.
Though the Lady Braves took control of the game in the fourth quarter, they had to fight back from a first quarter in which the Lady Tigers scored the first eight points and at one point led 10-2 in the quarter.
The first points of the game came from an open 3-pointer by Megan Hogle, followed with a steal by Cobb and layup from Perie for a 5-0 lead. At the 4:58 mark of the first, Hogle sank another 3-pointer to put MHS up 8-0, forcing LE to call a timeout.
Following the timeout, LE outscored MHS 10-6, with MHS leading 14-10 after the first frame.
The defense was present in the second quarter, as LE had a 7-2 run to start the frame, but Perie came back with two free throws to complement the jumper earlier in the quarter by Kate Crabtree.
LE outscored MHS 11-4 with 3:22 left in the first half, leading 21-18.
MHS came back to end the second quarter with points by Crabtree, Perie and Cobb on a fast break following a turnover to lead 22-21 at the half.
In the second, the lead changed hands six times.
Sammy Rooks put MHS back in the lead in the early stages of the third at 24-23, and with the help from Perie and a 3-pointer by Cobb, MHS led 31-25 with 4:10 left in the quarter.
LE regained the lead with 1:38 remaining in the frame when Young sank a 3-pointer. Perie tied the game late in the quarter with a free throw.
The game marks the end to three Lady Tigers careers in Megan Hogle, Chrissy Cobb and Frankie Wise, as they were the three seniors on this year's squad.
"All three seniors, they did a good job out there tonight, handling the ball," Overstake said. "They are a good group to coach and will be missed."
LE will play the Miami Trace Lady Panthers on Saturday at AHS with a tip-off of 1 p.m.
GAME NOTES: MHS out-rebounded LE 19-18 … LE had three blocked shots … Perie took two charges … Saxton took a charge for LE … Cobb had six steals and four assists … MHS committed 18 turnovers to 12 by LE … MHS had nine total steals and LE had six … Hogle had two assists.[[In-content Ad]]
With the winner knowing they had to face the one-loss Miami Trace Lady Panthers in their next game this coming Saturday, it was a battle of epic proportions from both the Tigers and Braves (14-7) with the physicality shown on the court in each half. But after 14 lead changes (including ties), it was the Lady Braves who were left standing with the victory, defeating the home-team Tigers, 51-45.
The sectional semifinal game had two players score in double figures, the aforementioned 14 lead changes, and two fan bases who desperately wanted to see their team move on in post-season play.
"We knew how good they were from seeing them play the other night," MHS head coach Dennis Overstake said, who just wrapped up his 30th season as the varsity girls basketball coach.
McClain (15-6) entered the game as the No. 4 seed and the Lady Braves were a No. 5 seed, but none of that mattered when the game entered the fourth quarter, tied at 36.
That's when the intensity of the game reached its breaking point.
Logan Elm took the lead first in the fourth frame, 38-36, when Alexis Adcock sank a jumper, but after Taylor Saxton took a charge for LE, it was MHS junior Jenna Perie who kept the Lady Tigers in the game with inside points, tying the game at 38. Perie finished with a team-high 22 points. Perie had a double-double with 11 rebounds.
With 4:50 left in regulation, the McClain faithful rose to their feet in celebration with two free throws by Perie, putting the Lady Tigers back in the top spot by two points.
Again, the Lady Braves answered with a jumper, this time by Bailey Pontius, leaving just under 4:00 left in the quarter.
As the fourth progressed, so did the intensity of the game from both sides, but it was the Lady Braves who went to the hoop and took the lead for good.
Emily Robinson put LE up 42-41, and after MHS missed a couple opportunities at their basket, Nikki Young went to the hoop for LE untouched following a timeout to give the Lady Braves a three-point lead at 44-41, with under 2:00 left on the scoreboard.
Robinson, a 1,000-point scorer, finished the game-high in scoring with 23 points. She went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, while making eight two-point baskets and one 3-pointer.
"(Emily) Robinson had an extremely good night tonight," Overstake said. "There were times when we had two people on her, and she was still making shots over the top of them. She put them on her back."
McClain lost possession of the basketball due to an out-of-bounds call by the official, which set off a sequence of events, including a technical foul on the Lady Tigers. LE's Robinson made both free throws on the technical foul call, putting the Lady Braves up 46-41.
"I told the girls after the game it was two teams playing hard out there. We made a mistake, the other team took advantage of it, right there at the end we made a mistake when we were three points down. I made a mistake in talking to the official, so that is my mistake too," Overstake said.
After that, LE held the lead for good, fending off points from Perie and Chrissy Cobb.
For the game, McClain shot 43 percent from the field at 16-of-37, but the Lady Braves had a great night from the floor, going 20-of-39 for 51 percent.
Though the Lady Braves took control of the game in the fourth quarter, they had to fight back from a first quarter in which the Lady Tigers scored the first eight points and at one point led 10-2 in the quarter.
The first points of the game came from an open 3-pointer by Megan Hogle, followed with a steal by Cobb and layup from Perie for a 5-0 lead. At the 4:58 mark of the first, Hogle sank another 3-pointer to put MHS up 8-0, forcing LE to call a timeout.
Following the timeout, LE outscored MHS 10-6, with MHS leading 14-10 after the first frame.
The defense was present in the second quarter, as LE had a 7-2 run to start the frame, but Perie came back with two free throws to complement the jumper earlier in the quarter by Kate Crabtree.
LE outscored MHS 11-4 with 3:22 left in the first half, leading 21-18.
MHS came back to end the second quarter with points by Crabtree, Perie and Cobb on a fast break following a turnover to lead 22-21 at the half.
In the second, the lead changed hands six times.
Sammy Rooks put MHS back in the lead in the early stages of the third at 24-23, and with the help from Perie and a 3-pointer by Cobb, MHS led 31-25 with 4:10 left in the quarter.
LE regained the lead with 1:38 remaining in the frame when Young sank a 3-pointer. Perie tied the game late in the quarter with a free throw.
The game marks the end to three Lady Tigers careers in Megan Hogle, Chrissy Cobb and Frankie Wise, as they were the three seniors on this year's squad.
"All three seniors, they did a good job out there tonight, handling the ball," Overstake said. "They are a good group to coach and will be missed."
LE will play the Miami Trace Lady Panthers on Saturday at AHS with a tip-off of 1 p.m.
GAME NOTES: MHS out-rebounded LE 19-18 … LE had three blocked shots … Perie took two charges … Saxton took a charge for LE … Cobb had six steals and four assists … MHS committed 18 turnovers to 12 by LE … MHS had nine total steals and LE had six … Hogle had two assists.[[In-content Ad]]