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Washington Evening Journal
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Raiders top Wolves in OT
Two timely threes help Raiders edge the Wolves
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MARION — In the Williamsburg girls’ basketball team’s eighth matchup against a ranked opponent in 11 games this season, the Raiders prevailed with a gritty 48-45 win over Class 4A No. 15 Marion on the road Friday night.
“That’s a great basketball team there (Marion),“ Williamsburg coach Stephanie Dacey said. ”We’re always weary of the zone, and they extended theirs out. I thought we still got great looks, but shots were not falling.“
The Wolves got comfortable in their extended zone after the first quarter, and made things more difficult for the Raiders.
Two timely threes from the Raiders gave them boosts when they needed it most.
The first came when the Raiders were down three after a 9-0 Wolves run late in the third. Taylor Sanchez connected from deep at the buzzer.
The second came with the Raiders down two in overtime. Rich swished one in when the Raiders needed it most in the midst of a long scoring drought.
The Raiders were hot out the gate, both offensively and defensively, jumping out to a 10-0 lead.
The Wolves did not score from the field the entire first quarter. Their only two points come at the line at the 2:59 mark.
Another 10-0 run ensued to finish the quarter, and this game looked like it was headed toward a blowout.
Carly Rich scored 10 points for the Raiders in the first.
The second quarter started slow for both teams, but then the Wolves became the team making the shots and forcing turnovers.
Madeline Pavelka, the Wolves’ leading scorer, hit the first basket for the team under the five minute mark, and the rally began.
Pavelka scored seven in the quarter and, after a Harlow Griffin layup, the lead dropped to two.
The Raiders scored only two in the quarter, as the Wolves did in the first, and at halftime the score was 22-20.
The Raiders were able to get into their full-court pressure after a basket, and when shots stopped falling, the Wolves were able to execute better offensively without facing the press.
The game stayed close the rest of the way.
Another scoring drought began for both teams to start the third. Channing Becker ended it with a three for the Raiders.
The Wolves tied it up at 25, and then the Raiders went on a 6-0 run.
Kylee Suhr scored on a drive, then got a steal and assist to Rich. Rich got another steal, and the score was 31-25.
The Wolves ended the quarter on a three-point barrage — two straight from Griffin and one from Kendyl Aarhus — and the Wolves had their first lead of the game, 37-34.
Taylor Sanchez’s buzzer shot tied things up heading to the fourth.
“Taylor’s three was huge for us,” Dacey said.
Both teams hit two free throws and one basket from the field early in the fourth, and neither team scored the last three minutes of play, taking this one to overtime tied at 41.
No one scored in the first minute of overtime. Aarhus finally scored on a drive to give the Wolves the 43-41 edge.
Rich responded with a three, and the Raiders’ defense took charge to finish the game.
Kennedy Skaggs took a hard charge to give the Raiders possession, a key defensive play in the extra period.
Hocker scored next, on a layup, and the lead was 46-43, Raiders.
The Raiders weren’t superb from the free-throw line down the stretch, but made two of six to hold on for a 48-45 win.
‘It was a team effort tonight,“ said Dacey. ”I thought we were composed in a tough environment.“
Rich finished with a game-high 19 points. The Raiders had three other players finish with six a piece — Becker, Hocker and Sanchez.
Ellie Morris had 12 for the Wolves. Pavelka scored 11.
The Class 3A No. 7 Raiders moved to 9-2 with the win.
