Avery Clark of North Union leaps to shot the ball while two Marion Harding players attempt to block the shot. Clark tallied 10 points during the overtime lose of 53-50 to the Lady Prexies.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
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After a month on the road the Lady Cats came home to play Marion Harding in front of a familiar crowd. Unfortunately for those fans and Lady Cats, they had to walk off the court with a loss after overcoming a 10 point deficit in the fourth quarter. That effort pushed the game into overtime where they fell 53-50.
Despite the set back Lady Cats head coach Rachel Weaver was happy to be home.
“It always feels good to be in your own gym,” she added. “To have the home crowd and everything, it is a lot of fun.”
The Lady Cats were able to come off of the tip playing solid defense that created offense off of four straight turn overs in the opening minute of play to go up 6-0, but that Cats struggled to an adjustment made by the Lady Prexies as they switched to a 3-2 zone coverage that pressured the shooters. Despite the pressure, the Lady Cats where able to take the first quarter 8-6.
The second quarter was more of the same for each team as the Lady Cats were able to hang with Harding up until the final minute of play before the half. The Prexies drained a three to take a 19-18 lead into the locker room.
“I thought we started off with some fire,” weaver added. “We lost that fire in the second quarter, but I think the biggest thing that is defeating us right now is how we are coming out in the third quarter.”
The Prexies where able to stretch their lead in the third quarter with a 11-3 run in the final four minutes of the quarter.
The Lady Cats struggled to find the bottom of the net, but a late three by Maddi Ruhl was able to pull the Prexies within 10 at the end of the third.
A different team took the floor in the final eight minutes of regulation as the Cats started to pressure every inbound ball from Harding. The defensive intensity helped the Cats with some additional opportunities. The Cats where able to get more opportunities at the line after drawing fouls down low. North Union didn’t waste their opportunities at the charity strip sinking eight of 10 shots. With time drawing to close and the Cats down two, Ruhl was able to get a clean look from beyond the arc. She was able to convert the shot after a favorable roll off the top of the back board.
“Right now I need to figure out what to say to them, because I need that intensity at the third quarter, not the fourth,” added Weaver. “I think it is an adrenaline thing that they don’t want to lose, but sometimes it is too little, too late and that is what happened tonight.”
Paxton Stofcheck was able to help stretch the Lady Cat’s lead to 45-42 after sinking two shots from the foul line, but with 25 seconds left the Lady Prexies where able to sink a three to push he game into overtime.
The teams exchanged blows meeting each other point-for-point, but with just under a minute left in overtime the Cats found themselves down 51-49.
Taylor Day was able to draw a foul down low and converted one of two to put the game at 51-50 in favor of Harding.
Harding was able to collect a trip to the line where they converted each shot to take a 53-50 lead with 3.8 seconds remaining. The Cats dished the ball to Ruhl with a long pass.
Ruhl put up a shot, but the Cats luck had run out.
“We got a good look at the end, gave it to one of my best three-point shooters and she threw it up and got the back of the rim, but we can’t rely on those shots to keep us in the game,” Weaver said.
The Lady Cats will return to their home court on Saturday when they take on the Lady Tigers of Galion.
Box Score
NU 08 10 09 18 05 50
MH 06 13 18 08 08 51
NU- Day 3-6-13, Ruhl 5-0-13, Clark 2-6-10, Stofcheck 2-4-8, Amstutz 0-2-2, Blevins 1-0-2, Marvin 0-2-2
Three-point goals: Ruhl 3, Day 1
MH- Douglas- 8-4-21, Mauk 7-0-16, Smith 3-1-7, Z. Jackson 1-2-5, A. Jackson 2-0-4
Three-point goals: Mauk 2, Douglas 1