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By Amanda Perkins
Mountain View, MO – “I’ve had a ball in my hand since I was three,” said Piper Francis. “Basketball has always been my sport.”
Last year, as a freshman, the MVBT-Liberty natural set a goal to hit her 1,000th career point by her sophomore season. She accomplished her goal Friday night in just her 45th career game, scoring 38 points and leading her team to a 75-74 victory over the Alton Lady Comets.
“It’s so exciting,” said Francis. “I couldn’t thank God enough for all he’s blessed me with, and I thank my teammates, my coach, my family for all the support I’ve gotten.”
Liberty coach Jeff Atchison said Francis is a good kid who is a capable threat on the court. “She can get her shot off against one and sometimes two people guarding her all the time,” he said. “She can get a jump shot if she’s anywhere around that three point line. Tonight, she never came off the floor, played the front of our press all night, and handled the ball half the night…the only person who usually stops her is herself.”
The Lady Eagles had to fight their way into the contest after Alton gained a 12-point lead going into the fourth.
“We had gotten down early and we got rattled,” said Atchison. “They came out the third quarter and put the press to us and we kind of coughed it up, and lost track of getting in the right spots and executing plays. But we came back and just kept battling. They fought through all the adversity and beat a very talented Alton team.”
Part of the difference for the Lady Eagles was finding Francis on the floor in the final frame, where she connected for 15 points, including the game winning shot. The host team also slowed the Comets’ scoring drive and forced turnovers with their press. Alton’s shot at the buzzer by ace Hailee Erickson was no good, but she finished with 25 points on the night.
Alton coach Stephanie Miller said her team entered the contest with a lack of energy, but credited Liberty for their quick start.
“They came out ready to play from the get-go, crashing the boards,” she said. “Mantel played an excellent game right off the bat and got us into foul trouble. We regrouped at halftime and had a really good third quarter but couldn’t match that spurt, that defensive effort, they had in the fourth quarter. We had 27 turnovers, and it’s hard to beat a team when you have 27 turnovers, and on top of that they shot 27 free throws and we shot 9. So they were much more aggressive than we were.”
As for Piper Francis, she now has a new personal goal: to reach 2,000 points by her senior year.
Scoring for Liberty: Piper Francis, 38, Jaci Mantel, 14, Kamryn Gastineau, 7, Madison Berry, 6, Marissa Berry, 6, and Trinity Clark, 4.
Scoring for Alton: Hailee Erickson, 25, Baylee Sisco, 16, Taylor Parsons, 12, Haley Sisco, 7, Kelsie Orr, 7, Allie Campbell, 3, Caitlyn Miller, 2, and Caroline Shaw, 2.
