It’s not always how you start, but how you finish.
Crocker senior Kelsi York didn’t score in the first quarter. The high-scoring guard struggled to find her touch throughout Thursday’s Frisco League showdown with rival Stoutland.
But, York hit the ones that matter…
The Lincoln signee scored 17 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, leading Class 2 No. 5 Crocker to a 74-69 road win over No. 7 Stoutland to take control of the conference race.
“Kelsi showed a lot of heart,” said Crocker coach Nancy Ward. “She wasn’t hitting early in the game but showed a lot of confidence in bouncing back. That’s what kind of kid she is. She’s tough minded, she’s a competitor and she has that will to win. Lindsay (Medlen) does too and that carries over to everyone else.”
With fellow captain Medlen fouling out, after scoring 29 points, with 2:20 remaining in the fourth quarter and Crocker trailing 61-57, York took over the offense, scoring six of the Lady Lions final 10 points to end regulation, including a game-tying 30-footer just before time expired.
“I didn’t realize how deep it was, I just knew I had to get the shot off soon, so I let it fly and it went in,” said York.
Just eight seconds into overtime York connected on her sixth and final 3-pointer of the game, giving Crocker a 70-67 lead that they would not relinquish. She also went 4-for-4 from the foul line, scoring all seven of Crocker’s overtime points.
“I’m a little disappointed because we were supposed to foul there in those final seconds,” said Stoutland coach Jacky Payne. “We were going to give one and then maybe give another one to keep them from getting a 3 up and somehow Alexa ended up and Kelsi (York) and Alexa had four fouls. I don’t buy the old theory of letting them have a shot at the end to tie it, we were going to foul and make them do something but it didn’t happen. York was hitting those from at NBA range and they were daggers.”
Stoutland led by as much as 14 in the first, 28-14, thanks to a hot start by Missouri State signee Alexa Willard. The 6-foot-1 guard scored 24 of her game-high 34 points in the first half, including 12 straight in the second quarter, leading the Lady Tigers to a 42-33 halftime advantage.
“She was on fire and when she’s got it going like that she’s tough to stop and we don’t really have any size to put on her so it’s easy for her to get a shot when she wants it,” said Ward.
That halftime lead disappeared thanks to a 16-5 Crocker run to start the quarter keyed by a 12-second sequence in which Medlen hit a 3, stole the ensuing inbounds pass and found Sadie Bomar for another 3.
Crocker led 51-50 entering the fourth quarter.
With the win Crocker (18-2) not only grabs the Frisco League lead, but remains a perfect 6-0 against district foes, giving the Lady Lions the inside track to the No. 1 seed in next month’s Class 2 – District 9 Tournament.
But, Coach Ward believes the value of the game goes well beyond wins and losses.
“It was a crazy game, but that’s my kids; they’ve stepped up all season,” said Ward. “It’s not about one person, it never has been, and I think people underestimate some of our role players. They do an excellent job of filling those roles and tonight they stepped up in crunch time.
It’s a huge win. It’s huge for district seeds, it’s huge for the conference race. But more than anything it showed our players what they can do if they stay with it and don’t give up. They showed so much heart tonight and I think that will carry over for us.”
For Stoutland (16-3), the struggles against Crocker continue.
The Lady Tigers have dropped 18 straight games to Crocker dating back to 2008. While Thursday was another step in the right direction, if Stoutland is to make a run at a conference or district championship, the road will first go through Crocker.
“The fans got to see a really good high school game between two state-ranked teams,” said Payne. “We came out ready to play; our kids wanted this game really bad… We want to play them again. They’ll probably get the No. 1 seed in the district and I’m hoping that we get the No. 2. Hopefully we get another chance. They’ve had a great program for years and I’m really proud of what our girls have done, but we want to see them again.”
Crocker 74, Stoutland 69
Crocker 13-20-18-16-7 – 74
Stoutland 20-22-8-17-2 – 69
Crocker: Medlen 29, York 27, Bomar 12, K. Connell 5, Lancaster 2, M. Connell 2.
Stoutland: Willard 34, Looney 16, Brown 11, Stradt 6, Gilbert 2.
