Comeback Kids
Fri, 2016-01-15 05:00
News Staff
Lady Dawgs rally from 18-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Lady Wolves 50-48
By TJ MAXWELL
Cove Leader-Press
The Jekyll and Hyde season continued its bipolar ways for the Lady Dawgs’ basketball team on Tuesday.
After struggling to buy a basket for three quarters, the Lady Dawgs bested their scoring total through three quarters with a 27-point fourth quarter that led to the biggest rally of the year for head coach Eldridge McAdams and his squad.
With just over four minutes to play in the contest, the Lady Dawgs found themselves in an 18-point hole after a traditional three-point by Shoemaker senior Tija Hawkins put the Lady Wolves up 42-24.
The Lady Dawgs finished the game on a 26-6 run to claim the 50-48 win.
“We needed it,” said McAdams. “For the first 3 ½ quarters I was like, ‘dang it, we gave it away.’ I think they were the more aggressive ones from start to finish.
“It’s definitely a big one. A loss would not have counted us out, but we would have been down but probably not out. Getting this win tonight was crucial. I would rather be 4-2 than 3-3 but this win helps us stay right there in the middle to where now we kind of control our own destiny.”
Senior Keturah Taylor stole the Shoemaker inbound pass and fed a wide-open Alex Wilson for the game-winner as time expired to cap the run.
“I was freaking out,” Wilson said about the final game-winning sequence. “I was like, ‘yes KT.’ She hustled and got the steal. I didn’t know she was going to pass it to me but she did. I got it and I was like, I’ve got to make this layup. This game is ending right now.’ That was just a complete and total team effort.”
Taylor’s sixth steal of the night led to the game-winner. “I felt she was all the way (in the corner) and didn’t have a spot to throw it in at so I tipped it, got and passed it to Alex,” she said. “I saw the open girl.”
Wilson was wide open under the basket where she collected the pass and converted the layup and her only points on the night for the win.
“Oh my gosh we did it again,” Wilson said of her thoughts on the moment. “We probably gave our coach a stroke and more gray hairs. I’m so proud that we didn’t give up and just kept playing through it. We made a few mistakes there towards the end but we came back. The momentum from the fans really helped us.”
Taylor was also excited. So much so she forgot that time had not yet expired.
“I jumped up and really didn’t get back on defense until later but it was good. I jumped up then I was like, ‘oh still playing,’ so it got back (on defense).”
The Cove rally came so furiously that no one on the Cove bench even knew they were in striking range.
“I looked up at the clock and I didn’t know we were down by just two,” said McAdams. “We steal that in-bounds and they give her the time out, but that would have tied it. That was my first time to look up.”
The Lady Dawgs (20-8, 3-3 in Distirct 12-6A) scored 19 unanswered points to take a 43-42 lead with 1:27 left.
“It just kind of snow balled into it.,” Taylor said of the run. “We were like, ‘we’ve got to do something – shoot better, make some layups, make some free throws or something – to get us back in the game.”
The twin towers of Hunter and Chapman accounted for 13 of Cove’s 27 points in the fourth quarter.
“I think they got a little frustrated because they’re long and we’re the shortest team in the district besides Belton,” said McAdams. “(Daisha) and Chyanne were working hard but they were getting their shots blocked and things like that so they were getting frustrated. I told them to just keep going at them, ‘give her a head fake and go around her,’ and that’s what they started doing.”
Shoemaker (13-8, 3-2) stopped the bleeding with a bucket by Hawkins and a steal for a layup by junior Mikayla Gatewood gave the Lady Wolves a three-point edge.
Senior Kaycie Gatewood hit a huge three-pointer that again knotted the game at 46-all with just over 30 seconds left.
Shoemaker regained the lead with another basket by Mikayla Gatewood but trips to the charity stripe by Chapman and Mikayla’s aunt Kaycie Gatewood converted a free throw each to knot the game at 48 and set up the game-winning sequence.
Big buckets in the paint by senior Daisha Hunter and junior Chyanne Chapman, along with a timely three-pointer by senior Keturah Taylor and two free throws by senior Twillesa Shipman, brought the Lady Dawgs back within seven points with 2:26 left.
After two missed free throws by Shoemaker’s Mikayla Koester, the twin towers pulled the Lady Dawgs within two, 42-40, with some clutch baskets in the paint.
An ‘and one’ opportunity by Hunter on the assist by Chapman cut the lead to five and the bucket by Chapman cut the lead to two.
A steal on the inbound pass would have knotted the game at 42-all with 1:39 remaining but a time out was granted to Shoemaker before the steal and layup.
Taylor then gave the Lady Dawgs their first lead of the game when she picked off a pass at half court and converted the traditional three-point play at the other end to give Cove a 43-42 lead with 1:27 to play.
The Lady Grey Wolves dominated the first half with senior Shadazia Birchette scoring eight of her team-high 14 points in the first quarter on the way to a 25-12 Shoemaker lead at the break.
Shoemaker edged Cove 14-9 in the first quarter before holding the Lady Dawgs to just three points in the second period.
The Lady Dawgs trailed 39-23 entering the final frame.
Taylor scored 13 of her game-high 16 points in the second half followed by Chapman’s double-double of 15 points and 18 rebounds. Hunter chipped in seven points and 10 boards while Gatewood and Shipman added four each and junior Kayla McCloud joined Wilson with two.
Hawkins added 13 and Gatewood added 12 to the Shoemaker tally.
The Lady Dawgs will enjoy a bye tonight before resuming 12-6A play at home against No. 9 Killeen on Tuesday.
“Assuming they’re still undefeated, we want to give (Killeen) their first loss,” said Wilson. “When we played them in the first game, we knew we could play way better.”