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Boone advances in OT; Ryle also wins

Rebels take down top-seeded Conner

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Posted: 02/20/2013

By Dan Wright

Boone County head coach Nell Fookes says the last time she can remember one of her teams missing the regional tournament was back in her second year of coaching at the school.

Tuesday night, the Rebels kept that fact a distant memory, making eight-of-10 free throws in overtime to tough-out a 59-57, overtime win against Conner in the 33rd District tournament semifinals at Boone County.

The win moves Boone County into Thursday’s district final against Ryle and guarantees the Rebels a spot in next week’s 9th Region tournament, despite the fact Conner was the No. 1 seed in the tournament while Boone entered as the No. 4 seed.

“The No. 1 seed in this district doesn’t matter,” said Conner head coach Aaron Stamm. “You know you’ve got a tough team (to play).”

Few No. 1 seeds had a tougher draw than Conner, which faced a Boone County team that has reached the 9th Region tournament every season this century and was hosting the district tournament.

Buoyed by the home crowd, the Rebels jumped out to a 20-17 lead on the strength of four 3-pointers, two by junior forward Dallas Knotts.

“(That fast start) ended up being great, because we were just as cold in the third quarter,” said Boone County head coach Nell Fookes.

After a sluggish second quarter saw the Rebels go into the half ahead, 29-22, Conner made its run in the third quarter.

An 8-0 run pulled the Cougars to within a point, 31-30, on junior guard Brooke Maine’s 3-pointer, and Conner took its first lead since 2-0 when Maines put back her own miss to go ahead 35-34, with under two minutes remaining in the quarter.

Conner’s lead grew to as many as five points, 42-37, in the fourth quarter, but sophomore guard Alexis Switzer made two free throws and three straight baskets by the Rebels put Boone County ahead, 45-42 with just over four minutes remaining.

Although the Rebels would not hit a field goal for the rest of the game, they managed to make six of eight through the rest of the quarter to make it to overtime.

“We made free throws down the stretch and we played great defense,” said Fookes.

Conner, on the other hand, missed the front-end of two one-and-one free throws which could have put the game away after junior center Maddie Meyers made two free throws to put the Cougars ahead, 51-50, with 52.0 seconds remaining.

“We missed a couple of free throws late,” Stamm said. “We just didn’t do what we needed to do late in the game and good teams make you pay.”

Boone County senior guard Jessica Jones made one of two free throws with 16.6 seconds remaining to tie the score, and Conner’s last-second 3-pointer missed, sending the game to overtime.

Neither team scored a basket through the first four-and-a-half minutes of overtime, but the Rebels connected on seven of eight free throws to take a 58-51 lead.

“That was the idea, to get to the line,” Fookes said. “Drive it in and they’re either going to foul you or your going to score a layup.”

Senior forward Jordan Scott and Meyers made 3-pointers for Conner in the final 16.0 seconds, with Jones making a free throw in between, to account for the final points in the game.

“Everybody didn’t believe in us. They didn’t think we were going to get anywhere,” said Jones, who had 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Rebels. “Though there was a difference in talent than what we had last year, and it’s true we didn’t have the same amount of talent, but we still have the same amount work ethic.”

The Rebels won despite shooting just 28.3 percent from the field (17-for-60), including just 18.2-percent in the second half (6-for-33). Boone County made 19-of-28 free throws (67.9 percent) and outrebounded the Cougars, 53-44.

Sophomore guard Alexis Switzer scored a team-high 17 points for Boone County.

Conner made 34.9-percent of its shots from the floor (22-for-63) and just 7 of 17 free throws (41.1 percent). Conner was led by Meyers, who had 21 points, and Scott, who had 17 points and 15 rebounds.

Although Boone County has won five of the last ten 9th Region titles, Fookes said just making it to the regional tournament with this year’s team is just as special.

“I thinking coaching this group of kids makes me really remind me why I coach. It’s not just because you can win all the time, although that does make you’re nights a little easier when we’re sleeping, it’s because you love the game, you love being around the girls, and you love teaching the game and it's very gratifying when they step up and do what they have. It means a lot.”

BOONE CO. 20-9-6-16-8—59
CONNER 17-5-16-13-6—57

BOONE COUNTY (16-11): Ford 4 1 12, Jones 4 6 14, Switzer 4 8 17, Knotts 3 4 12, McQueary 2 0 4. Totals 17 18 59.

CONNER (22-8): Pluto 2 0 4, Maines 5 1 13, Meyers 7 6 21, Hendricks 1 0 2, Scott 7 0 17. Totals 22 7 57.

3-pointers: BC--Ford 3, Knotts 2, Switzer. C--Scott 3, Maines 2, Meyers.

RYLE 65, COOPER 50 -- Every year since 2009, the Ryle Raiders have faced the Boone County Rebels in the 33rd District final. Tuesday

night in the district semifinals at Boone County, the Raiders extended that rivalry for a fifth straight year, making 24 of 30 free throws, including 18 of 21 in the fourth quarter.

“I think maybe it just comes back to experience in the big games and knowing how to finish because the girls have been there before,” said Ryle head coach Patti Oliverio. “I think that played into Boone’s advantage and I know tonight it played into our advantage.”

After watching Boone County upset top-seeded Cooper in the first game of the tournament, Ryle set about making its way to the district finals despite having just 10 wins, the fewest overall wins of any team in the tournament.

Ryle entered the game having won just two of its final 13 games, but the Raiders difficult schedule paid off Tuesday when freshman forward Carly Lange scored eight points to give the Raiders a 28-26 halftime lead.

“That was her best game on the big stage,” Oliverio said of Lange, who finished with 10 points, six above her season average. “She’s just continued to get better and better and better and the last six or seven games she’s really turned it on. I think we played such a tough scheduled it forced her to get better. She actually kept us in the game.”

Cooper stayed with the Raiders in the third quarter, even taking a 37-35 lead on senior guard Andrea Thompson’s steal and layup with 3:32 remaining that prompted Oliverio to call a time out and change up the Raiders defensive scheme.

“We went full court and turned up the pressure and tried to create some things defensively, which we did,” said Oliverio. “We got some turnovers and got them playing a little bit faster than they wanted to play.”

Senior guard Anna Monobe scored five quick points to put the Raiders ahead to stay and Ryle’s defense held Cooper to three field goals the rest of the way.

“We stepped up our intensity a lot on defense,” said Monobe. “We knew if we wanted to win the game we had to keep it up on defense. We had to apply pressure and get steals and get run-outs.”

Monobe finished with 15 points, one of four Raiders to score in double-figures.

“Lately all the teams have been face guarding McKell (Oliverio, Ryle’s leading scorer). I feel like more players need to step up on the team to help share the points so we can score better and give more relief to McKell.”

In addition to the 15 from Monobe and 10 from Lange, Oliverio scored 12 points and senior guard Dawn Johnson scored 16, making 12 of 13 free throws.

Johnson made 11 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter, when Ryle made just one basket from the floor, but connected on 18 free throws.

“We got in a position where we got behind and had to start fouling and I don’t know what the free throws were, but I know they hit a lot of them,” said Cooper head coach Dave Schneider.

While Ryle steadily made free throws, Cooper scored just two baskets and five of six free throws to fall further and further behind.

Thompson led the Jaguars with a game-high 17 points. Junior guard Savannah Brinneman followed with 10 points.

The win not only sets up a fifth-straight Ryle-Boone County district final, but also assures the Raiders a spot in next week’s 9th Region tournament. For now, however, the Raiders are focused on taking the district title from the Rebels for the second straight year.

“I was planning on seeing Boone,” said Monobe. “It happens every year. It’s such a great rivalry. They’re such a good team and it’s a good game whenever we play them.”

COOPER 16-10-15-9—50
RYLE 20-8-17-20—65

COOPER (15-15): Tharp 1 0 2, Pittman 1 0 3, Maniacci 1 1 3, Brinneman 4 1 10, Burrell 0 2 2, Smith 0 1 1, Thompson 8 1 17, Cheek 1 0 2, Ross 2 4 8, Arnett 0 2 2. Totals 18 12 50.

RYLE (11-17): Martin 0 1 1, Monobe 5 3 15, Oliverio 3 4 12, Connor 2 0 6, Lange 3 3 10, Senvisky 2 1 5, Johnson 2 12 16. Totals 17 24 65.

3-pointers: C--Pittman, Brinneman. R--Monobe 2, Oliverio 2, Connor 2, Lange.