By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
MORRISVILLE – With the game in question in the last few minutes Saturday night, Bolivar coach Ben Glasgow leaned on sophomore guard Carly Cribbs to seal the deal.
The fifth-seeded Hillcrest Lady Hornets tied the game with 5:40 left on a free throw by freshman post Nayarah Shockley. But the Lady Liberators, who had held five-point leads off and on, and by as many as eight, pulled back ahead by five (42-37) on a traditional three-point play by Cribbs.
The Lady Hornets fought back to within two points on two more occasions, but Glasglow kept the ball in Cribbs’ hands for good reason.
The sophomore guard handled the ball, drew fouls and sank free throws. She scored 12 of Bolivar’s 15 fourth-quarter points, going 8-for-9 from the free-throw line to lead the second-seeded Lady Liberators to a 50-45 Morrisville Tournament championship victory.
“She did a great job,” Glasgow said. “Last night, she struggled from the line, and then tonight, she really came through. I felt like she was the best player of the tournament this whole week. I’m pretty proud of her. She was pretty awesome.”
But the much-improved Lady Hornets jumped on Bolivar right away, taking a 5-0 lead behind baskets from Jamyra Parlette, Lillie Moore and Neveah Shockley. After a 3-pointer from Cribbs, Hillcrest then rattled off a 5-0 run to extend its lead to 12-3.
Glasgow admitted that his team might have panicked a little during that stretch.
“We were just slowing down,” Glasgow said. “We talked about how they were really going to jump at everything and try to steal (the ball); we’ve got to slow down, use some ball fakes… Once we did that, we started handling it better and then Carly just got us going. When we were down 12-3, she scored our first seven points and that really helped.
“Then we started doing a better job of rebounding and chipped away each quarter – never got away from them – which is typical when you’re playing for a championship. Teams aren’t just going to lay down and let it go.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
And this version of Hillcrest Lady Hornets Basketball did not do that. A team that won just five games a season ago has a different look and a different attitude this year.
“They play 10 players – they’re really deep,” Glasgow said. “They’re really physical and fast. They’re a different team than they were last year. They’re solid.”
Glasgow credited his bench for stepping up Saturday night, pointing out Mady Niven’s eight points, a big 3-pointer from Heidi Roweton and Jalynn Walker playing a lot of minutes.
And Cribbs appreciated the faith that Glasgow had in her late in the game and with the game on the line.
“It was cool knowing that he kind of put it in my hands, even though he knew if I messed up, it would be OK because he had trust in me and knew that I could do the right thing,” said Cribbs, who led all scorers with 28 points. “I don’t think I’ve ever shot that good from the free-throw line, but I’m glad it came at the right time.”
Hillcrest coach Justin Gerald had a big smile on his face going into Saturday night’s title game. And even though his Lady Hornets came up short, he still had a reason to smile afterward.
“It might not have been the outcome we wanted today, and that’s what I told the team,” Gerald said. “This isn’t the outcome we wanted today, but pointing to the trophy that we’re holding, that’s different from the Lady Hornets. We have to be excited about the accomplishments we are making, and the compliments we are getting, the hard defense and everything we’re doing, the strides we are taking. We are moving in the right direction.”
Gerald did point out a few missed opportunities during the game for the Lady Hornets.
“(There were) a few bunnies, a few putbacks… we missed too many of them,” Gerald said. “And then we missed too many free throws. If you want to win that game, if you want to win a championship game, you make those bunnies and then you knock your free throws down, like Bolivar did.
“I felt like it was our game, we just didn’t capitalize on the opportunities we did get.”
(2) BOLIVAR 50, (5) HILLCREST 45
6th Annual Morrisville Tournament
Championship game
HILLCREST 12-6-12-15—45
BOLIVAR 11-11-13-15—50
HILLCREST (2-2) – Jamyra Parlette 8, Amaya Burns 2, Lillie Moore 5, Neveah Shockley 11, Caitlin Summers 7, Nayarah Shockley 6, A’Kyra Staten-Balance 2, Morgan Cook 4.
BOLIVAR (3-0) – KaCee Jenkins 2, Emma Goodman 5, Megan Howard 2, Carly Cribbs 28, Mady Niven 8, Heidi Roweton 5.
THIRD PLACE
Walnut Grove 43, Morrisville 42: The three-point lead the top-seeded Lady Tigers held at halftime (22-19) was just enough as they held off (3) Morrisville’s second-half rally for a 43-42 third-place victory.
Walnut Grove was led in scoring by Ellie Smith with 15 points, followed by Jacie Gavisk’s 14, Kellie Albert 6, Sadie Loehr 5, Ashtyn Anderson 2 and Maeli Holman 1.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Morrisville’s Hailey Presley led all scorers with 17 points. She was joined in double figures by Taylor Blehm with 16 points. Miya Bess added 4 points, while Macie Letterman and Maggie Painter added two points apiece for the Lady Panthers.
FIFTH PLACE
Ash Grove 47, Lamar 35: The Lady Pirates jumped out to a 26-17 halftime lead and used a big third quarter (14-3) to extend that lead (40-20) on their way to a 47-35 fifth-place win over Lamar.
Kennedy Lathrop and Cora Duit led Ash Grove with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Madison Lutz and Millison Sapp added eight points apiece, with Chelsye Graham scoring five and Bethany Wheeler chipping in three points for the Lady Pirates.
Lamar was paced by Jaycee Doss, who scored 12 points. She was joined by Baylee Heckadon (8), Zavrie Wiss (7), Olivia Force (6) and Rowan Parks and Lydia Nolting with one point apiece.
SEVENTH PLACE
Stockton 58, New Covenant Academy 37: Stockton led 32-11 after two quarters and didn’t look back in a 58-31 victory over New Covenant Academy for a seventh-place finish.
The Lady Warriors equaled the Lady Tigers’ output in the second half (26 points), but it wasn’t enough.
Faith King and HayLeigh Burres led Stockton with 14 points apiece. Ellie Flora had 10, Raelyn Henderson 7, Kila Burchett 5, Karista Algiere 4, and Mackinsie Griffis and Mercedes Rivera with two points each.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Raegan Ellis led all scorers with 16 points for New Covenant Academy. Audry Cannefax and Maelee Schulze added eight points apiece, with Sarah Garner adding four and Lily Green scoring one point for the Lady Warriors.
All-Tournament Team: Jaycee Doss, Lamar; Millison Sapp, Ash Grove; Miya Bess, Morrisville; Maggie Painter, Morrisville; Jacie Gavisk, Walnut Grove; Ellie Smith, Walnut Grove; Neveah Shockley, Hillcrest; Jamyra Parlette, Hillcrest; Emma Goodman, Bolivar; Carly Cribbs, Bolivar.
