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GIRARD — With 6.7 seconds remaining on the clock and Webb City (Mo.) ahead 49-47, senior point guard Gabbie Gannaway stepped to the free-throw line with all the pressure on her shoulders, looking for her first points after Webb City stopped Girard from tying up the game.
Gannaway, averaging 12.9 points per game entering Monday, sank the first one and Girard head coach Brad Herlocker burned his last timeout in an effort to ice the shooter or make her think about her upcoming free throw so much she’d brick it off the rim. Back at the line, Gannaway calmly made her second free throw and Webb City earned a 51-47 win Monday evening in a nonleague game at Ted R. Taylor Gymnasium.
“I tip my hat to them,” Girard head coach Brad Herlocker said. “They’re a very talented team and Brad (Webb City head coach Brad Shorter) always does a good job with them.”
Girard led 21-12 in the second quarter before Webb City went on a 10-1 run for a 22-22 score. Sophomore guard Lacy Resa, averaging 1.7 points, scored five of her nine points during this run and her second basket of the run gave Webb City its first tie score.
Girard junior guard Hadyn Herlocker then put Girard back ahead 28-22 at halftime — she hit a pull-up 3-pointer as Webb City defenders made the mistake of backing up and leaving her open and she hit a 3 from about 25 feet out at the buzzer, after she picked up a loose ball with time quickly running down.
Webb City gained its first lead at 32-30, culminating a 10-2 run after halftime that started on the defensive end and extended into transition opportunities. The Cardinals led as much as 37-32 in the third, before Hadyn Herlocker banked in a 3 to close out the quarter.
“We were fortunate at the end of the first half,” Coach Herlocker said. “We stole six points from them. In the second half, I thought their defense tightened down and they did a good job packing it in. They did a good job of making the inside look open and then tightening down. We didn’t finish some easy baskets. We got plenty of open shots. We had our chances.”
In the fourth quarter, Girard went back ahead 43-40, as a couple forced turnovers and defensive rebounds opened up Girard’s transition offense. Hadyn Herlocker, Hope McLeod, Danica Kelly and Jordan Davied each scored baskets, then it seemed that a protective layer encased Girard’s basket and did not allow Girard to make shots at critical times.
GIRARD — With 6.7 seconds remaining on the clock and Webb City (Mo.) ahead 49-47, senior point guard Gabbie Gannaway stepped to the free-throw line with all the pressure on her shoulders, looking for her first points after Webb City stopped Girard from tying up the game.
Gannaway, averaging 12.9 points per game entering Monday, sank the first one and Girard head coach Brad Herlocker burned his last timeout in an effort to ice the shooter or make her think about her upcoming free throw so much she’d brick it off the rim. Back at the line, Gannaway calmly made her second free throw and Webb City earned a 51-47 win Monday evening in a nonleague game at Ted R. Taylor Gymnasium.
“I tip my hat to them,” Girard head coach Brad Herlocker said. “They’re a very talented team and Brad (Webb City head coach Brad Shorter) always does a good job with them.”
Girard led 21-12 in the second quarter before Webb City went on a 10-1 run for a 22-22 score. Sophomore guard Lacy Resa, averaging 1.7 points, scored five of her nine points during this run and her second basket of the run gave Webb City its first tie score.
Girard junior guard Hadyn Herlocker then put Girard back ahead 28-22 at halftime — she hit a pull-up 3-pointer as Webb City defenders made the mistake of backing up and leaving her open and she hit a 3 from about 25 feet out at the buzzer, after she picked up a loose ball with time quickly running down.
Webb City gained its first lead at 32-30, culminating a 10-2 run after halftime that started on the defensive end and extended into transition opportunities. The Cardinals led as much as 37-32 in the third, before Hadyn Herlocker banked in a 3 to close out the quarter.
“We were fortunate at the end of the first half,” Coach Herlocker said. “We stole six points from them. In the second half, I thought their defense tightened down and they did a good job packing it in. They did a good job of making the inside look open and then tightening down. We didn’t finish some easy baskets. We got plenty of open shots. We had our chances.”
In the fourth quarter, Girard went back ahead 43-40, as a couple forced turnovers and defensive rebounds opened up Girard’s transition offense. Hadyn Herlocker, Hope McLeod, Danica Kelly and Jordan Davied each scored baskets, then it seemed that a protective layer encased Girard’s basket and did not allow Girard to make shots at critical times.
On the other end, Mikaela Burgess and Kaitlin Beason gave the Trojan defense fits. Leave Burgess 1-on-1 and her driving layup made it 43-43. Help on Burgess and she found Beason for a 45-43 lead. Help on Beason and she found Megan Heman for a 47-45 lead.
McLeod cut the lead to 49-47 after Burgess made a pair of free throws for a four-point lead. With Girard amping up its fullcourt man-to-man press, Gannaway slipped and McLeod tied her up, alternating possession with the arrow pointing Girard. A handful of seconds later, Carly Heatherly missed a shot and Hadyn Herlocker threw herself in the lane for a rebound, then Coach Herlocker called a timeout with 20.3 seconds remaining.
Hadyn Herlocker, at the top of the circle, took her defender 1-on-1 and drove the lane. However, Beason helped out and met Herlocker at the point of no return with a blocked shot, Webb City ball. Then, Gannaway made her two clutch free throws.
Sophomore guard Burgess surpassed her 16.7 scoring average with a 18-point performance and Beason added 14. Webb City improves to 11-8.
Hadyn Herlocker led all scorers with 19 points. Kelly and McLeod each had eight during a game in which only 10 players reached the scoring column, five players for each team. Davied and Heatherly each added six points.
Girard (11-4) lost its first game at Ted R. Taylor Gymnasium since Dec. 20, 2007, when Paola defeated Girard 64-51. This ends the home win streak at 38 games and Girard returns to CNC action Friday at home against the Lions of Baxter Springs.
Webb City (Mo.) 51, Girard 47
WCHS 8 14 15 14 — 51
GHS 14 14 7 12 — 47
WEBB CITY (51) — Mikaela Burgess 7 3-5 18, Kaitlin Beason 7 0-0 14, Lacy Resa 4 0-0 9, Megan Heman 3 2-4 8, Gabbie Gannaway 0 2-2 2. Totals: 21 7-11 51.
GIRARD (47) — Hadyn Herlocker 7 1-2 19, Danica Kelly 4 0-0 8, Hope McLeod 4 0-0 8, Jordan Davied 3 0-0 6, Carly Heatherly 2 1-2 6. Totals: 20 2-4 47.
Turnovers — WCHS 27, GHS 15.
