Phantom Stang
02-02-2006, 12:07 AM
SW girls lose heartbreaker in OT
By RON HOWELL/Reporter Sports Editor
After a back-and-forth first half, the Sweetwater girls basketball team seemed to have things more or less under control in the second half of Tuesday's District 4-3A game against Snyder at Mustang Gym.
The Lady Mustangs - desperately need-ing a victory to stay in strong contention for a playoff berth - led by seven points, 34-27, with 4:45 to play and still had that seven-point advantage, 36-29, when Dacy Ivy scored with 2:57 remaining.
Unfortunately for Sweetwater, the lead didn't last as Snyder rallied for a 47-44 win in overtime to put a severe dent in the Lady Mustangs' hopes of making it to the post-season for the 10th straight year.
Sweetwater, which is now 19-10 overall but only 2-4 in district, still trails Merkel (3-4) by a half-game in its bid to land the No. 3 and final berth from District 4-3A.
To have a realistic chance of getting to the playoffs, the Lady Mustangs must win their final two regular season games. The team goes to first-place Wylie (6-0) on Fri-day and ends the regular season by hosting last-place Clyde on Tuesday.
Merkel, which has split its two games with Sweetwater, plays its final game this Friday at Clyde. Wylie and Snyder (5-2) have both clinched playoff spots.
Sweetwater's downfall on Tuesday began when Snyder launched a 10-0 run late in the fourth quarter to go ahead 39-36. Se-quoya Powell made two free throws to cap the run with 1:22 to play. But Sweetwater, which helped Snyder's surge with a couple of turnovers that led to three-point baskets by the Lady Tigers, didn't fold its tent.
After calling a timeout with 31.2 seconds left, the Lady Mustangs got the ball to Ivy, who buried a long 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime.
Sweetwater then regained the lead three times in the extra period, the last time with 2:10 remaining when Viviana Castillo hit one of two free throws for a 44-43 advan-tage following a technical foul call on Sny-der coach Mike Martin.
The Lady Mustangs still held that slim lead with under a minute to play, but Snyder's Katy Crenwelge made a conventional three-point play with 37.2 seconds remaining to put the Lady Tigers up 46-44. That set up a wild finish that began when Ivy missed a layup and fouled Snyder's Jordan Stansell going for the rebound.
Stansell missed both of her free throws with 21.5 seconds left, but teammate Ter-rann Ragland grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Ragland made one of two free throws for a 47-44 Snyder lead.
Sweetwater called another timeout to try and set up a tying three-pointer, but Castil-lo's attempt came up short as the Lady Ti-gers held on for the victory.
“This is one of those districts where you have just got to win at home,” said Sweet-water coach Will Corley. “The kids played great and I'm super proud of them. They kept coming back. But the shots just didn't fall when we needed them to.”
Castillo led Sweetwater with 13 points, including four 3-pointers. She connected on one right before halftime that completed an 8-1 run and gave the Lady Mustangs an 18-17 lead at halftime. Castillo also buried a trey in the final minute of the third quarter for a 30-26 advantage.
Six-foot senior post Tracy Cowin, who fouled out late in regulation, had 12 points and Ivy finished with nine. Blayre Hatley and Kaitlin Lawrence each had four points and Tika Smith two to round out the scoring for Sweetwater.
Copyright © 2006 Sweetwater Reporter
By RON HOWELL/Reporter Sports Editor
After a back-and-forth first half, the Sweetwater girls basketball team seemed to have things more or less under control in the second half of Tuesday's District 4-3A game against Snyder at Mustang Gym.
The Lady Mustangs - desperately need-ing a victory to stay in strong contention for a playoff berth - led by seven points, 34-27, with 4:45 to play and still had that seven-point advantage, 36-29, when Dacy Ivy scored with 2:57 remaining.
Unfortunately for Sweetwater, the lead didn't last as Snyder rallied for a 47-44 win in overtime to put a severe dent in the Lady Mustangs' hopes of making it to the post-season for the 10th straight year.
Sweetwater, which is now 19-10 overall but only 2-4 in district, still trails Merkel (3-4) by a half-game in its bid to land the No. 3 and final berth from District 4-3A.
To have a realistic chance of getting to the playoffs, the Lady Mustangs must win their final two regular season games. The team goes to first-place Wylie (6-0) on Fri-day and ends the regular season by hosting last-place Clyde on Tuesday.
Merkel, which has split its two games with Sweetwater, plays its final game this Friday at Clyde. Wylie and Snyder (5-2) have both clinched playoff spots.
Sweetwater's downfall on Tuesday began when Snyder launched a 10-0 run late in the fourth quarter to go ahead 39-36. Se-quoya Powell made two free throws to cap the run with 1:22 to play. But Sweetwater, which helped Snyder's surge with a couple of turnovers that led to three-point baskets by the Lady Tigers, didn't fold its tent.
After calling a timeout with 31.2 seconds left, the Lady Mustangs got the ball to Ivy, who buried a long 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime.
Sweetwater then regained the lead three times in the extra period, the last time with 2:10 remaining when Viviana Castillo hit one of two free throws for a 44-43 advan-tage following a technical foul call on Sny-der coach Mike Martin.
The Lady Mustangs still held that slim lead with under a minute to play, but Snyder's Katy Crenwelge made a conventional three-point play with 37.2 seconds remaining to put the Lady Tigers up 46-44. That set up a wild finish that began when Ivy missed a layup and fouled Snyder's Jordan Stansell going for the rebound.
Stansell missed both of her free throws with 21.5 seconds left, but teammate Ter-rann Ragland grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Ragland made one of two free throws for a 47-44 Snyder lead.
Sweetwater called another timeout to try and set up a tying three-pointer, but Castil-lo's attempt came up short as the Lady Ti-gers held on for the victory.
“This is one of those districts where you have just got to win at home,” said Sweet-water coach Will Corley. “The kids played great and I'm super proud of them. They kept coming back. But the shots just didn't fall when we needed them to.”
Castillo led Sweetwater with 13 points, including four 3-pointers. She connected on one right before halftime that completed an 8-1 run and gave the Lady Mustangs an 18-17 lead at halftime. Castillo also buried a trey in the final minute of the third quarter for a 30-26 advantage.
Six-foot senior post Tracy Cowin, who fouled out late in regulation, had 12 points and Ivy finished with nine. Blayre Hatley and Kaitlin Lawrence each had four points and Tika Smith two to round out the scoring for Sweetwater.
Copyright © 2006 Sweetwater Reporter