By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Springfield, Mo. — The Class 3 final four didn’t turn out the way Licking had hoped.
The Ladycats dropped a second game in as many days Friday, falling 54-40 to Trenton in the third-place matchup.
Facing the previously-undefeated Lady Bulldogs, Licking struggled to get anything going from the perimeter.
The Ladycats shot just 17 percent in the first half and 24.5 percent for the game.
Worse yet, Trenton’s front line had its way early and often against the smaller Ladycat defenders, scoring a gaudy 36 points in the paint.
Trenton’s Maci Moore did a majority of the damage for the Lady Bulldogs, finishing with a game-high 22 points on 10-of-11 shooting.
Licking head coach Steve Rissler talked about difficulties Moore presented on the interior coupled with Ainsley Tolson’s driving effectiveness.
“[Tolson] just sliced through our zone,” Rissler said. “She was penetrating with the purpose to dish, and she did a great job. We didn’t do a very good job up top in the zone of containing the dribble.”
While Licking had few answers for the Trenton attack, its own offensive woes offered little respite.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Karlee Holland led the Ladycats with 18 points; however, the junior guard was held scoreless in the first half.
A 3-pointer just over three minutes into the third quarter represented Holland’s first points of the game.
Despite its early struggles, Licking only trailed by seven at the break.
Rissler felt relief to still be within striking distance.
“Math is going to come around,” Rissler told his team at the half. “We’re shooting 37 percent from three as a team for the season. If we’re that bad in the first half, it’s got to come back.”
Trailing by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter, Licking finally started knocking down shots and managed a late rally.
Abbie Moncrief’s free throw with 2:23 remaining cut the lead to single digits at 46-37, but the Ladycats couldn’t get any closer.
“If we get enough good shots up, it’s going to equal out,” Rissler said. “That’s what we were counting on, but it didn’t happen until late in the fourth — and we tried to make a run.”
Despite the loss, Rissler believes the school’s first-ever trip to the final four will greatly benefit his program and his players.
“I think they know that now it’s possible,” Rissler said. “The first person that does something — it’s always the hardest. We’ve broken through the mental barrier that we do deserve to be here. We’re not just that small-town school, and we belong in the upper echelon of teams. I think it’s only going to get better.”
Licking finishes its season at 26-5
Class 3 Third-Place Final: Trenton – 54, Licking – 40
Trenton 11 08 17 18 — 54
Licking 06 06 10 18 — 40
Trenton scoring: Maci Moore – 22, Ainsley Tolson – 17, Salem Croy – 8, Mykah Hurley – 5, Sidney Lynch – 2
Licking scoring: Karlee Holland – 18, Lainy Hadix – 6, Kiley Ingram – 3, Abbie Moncrief – 5, Anna Sullins – 4, Kylie Taylor – 3, Lexi Hadix – 1
