DOVER – Southmont’s girls basketball team cut a 14-point deficit to two late in the game, but that’s where the rally stopped, as the Mounties fall 51-47 to Western Boone.
Trailing 49-47, and possessing the ball, the Mounties were looking to erase a 42-28 margin from the 6:29 mark of the fourth quarter.
There was no holiday present for the visitors, however, as two shots from close in missed in the last seconds. WeBo got two free throws in the last tenth of a second to set the final score.
“I thought we had it,” South coach Dan Burkman said of the last play. “It was the play we wanted and the shot just didn’t go in.”
What the Mounties coach did get in the way of an early present was some excellent play by his freshmen during the rally.
“We had four freshmen and DeLo (DeLorean Mason), in the game,” Burkman said. “They played with intensity, with passion and with energy.”
Molly Williams was first in line, as that freshman took all of her shots and free throws, grabbed two rebounds, collected and steal and a deflection – all in the fourth quarter.
“Molly played really well,” Burkman said of her seven points, hitting all three of her shots. “In practice this week, she came to me and asked what she could do to get better.
I told her she had to play better defense and shoot the ball a little. She is a good listener."
Claire Kessler and Makenzie Wood also came off the bench in that run, along with fellow frosh Emily Link and Layla Gomez, who are starters. All contributed.
“It shows I don’t have be afraid to use my bench,” Burkman noted.
Mason finished with 18 points to lead South, who fall to 7-7 overall and 0-3 in the Sagamore Conference, while the Stars move to 4-8 and 1-2 in the league.
The win is also a payback by the Stars for a 61-47 South win in the Sugar Creek Classic.
“We played a lot more under control and we executed way better,” WeBo coach Hannah Kelly said. “We gave them a lot of steals in the Classic and we adjusted our defense. We had to take Mason away from some of her strengths and we had to try and deny the ball inside to Gomez.”
Gomez, who scorched the Stars for 23 points and 10 boards in the first meeting, was limited to four buckets and seven rebounds.
The Stars also had their stars, as their own freshman, Ally Lewis, led her team with 17 points. Emmerson Gott added 10. They combined for six points in the loss at the Classic.
Olivia Reagan was all over the lane, grabbing 14 rebounds.
The Stars were 19-of-55 from the field, 3-of-12 from long range and 10-of-16 from the line. They won the rebound battle 44-34.
South was 18-of-47 from the field, 2-of-8 from deep and 9-of-16 from the stripe.
“Tonight was our fourth game in eight days, and third this week on the road,” Burkman said. “We didn’t have enough practice time and WeBo was able to dissect our zone. It shows what rest and preparation can do.”
The Mounties will have lots of time to rest and practice, as they are done until Jan. 2 when they play Riverton Parke.
The Stars have a holiday tournament starting next week. They have conference games with both Crawfordsville and North Montgomery in January.
