Senior Kayla Aikins puts up a shot in a 1-point loss to Galena Friday night at Morse Burley Gym.
Senators let one slip away in bizarre finish
It was a risky move, and it backfired in a big way on the Carson High girls basketball team.
Leading 48-47 with 8 seconds to go and Melissa Glanzmann at the line, Carson coach Nate Tolbert called time after Glanzmann missed the first of two shots. He instructed her to miss intentionally off the rim.
Instead, Glanzmann glanced it off the backboard, and also stepped over the line in the process.
Galena inbounded the ball, and put it in the hands of Kaitlin Hawthorne, who missed a runner in the lane. Yasmine Hendi grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled with 2 seconds left. She drained both attempts, giving Galena a wild 49-48 road win Friday night and a sweep of the season series.
The loss dropped Carson to 7-7 with games left against Manogue (away) and Douglas (home). Galena improved to 6-8. The Senators have, however, clinched a playoff spot thanks to Wooster’s upset win over Damonte Ranch, 5-9. The best Damonte can finish is 7-9, and even if CHS loses its last two games, it would finish fourth based on its sweep of the Mustangs,
Tolbert’s decision may have cost the Senators, who blew a six-point lad in the last 45 seconds, a shot at third place.
“We gambled and lost,” Tolbert said. “I wanted her to hit it off the rim and if we had gotten the rebound we could have run out the clock (or gotten fouled again). Unfortunately, Melissa stepped over the line and didn’t hit the rim. We’re going to need a little help to get third place I think.”
Trailing 41-40 with 4:34 left in the game, Carson went on an 8-1 run to grab a 48-42 lead with 48 seconds remaining.
Glanzmann gave Carson the lead, 42-41, on a nice move to the basket. After Josie Peck misfired, Maddie Preston was fouled and made one of two at the line to make it 43-41. Neither team scored over the next 80 seconds. Kayla Aikins missed two free throws, but scored on a putback and then on a drive to the basket to make it 47-41.
After a free throw by Hailey Hoffman, Teresa Boehmer missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Galena went 0-for-3 on its next possession, and then Aikins knocked in one free throw to make it 48-42. Carson got the ball back on the intentional foul, but turned it over.
Hawthorne scored on a layup, and after a turnover, she scored again on a 3-pointer to make it 48-47 with 13 seconds left. Aikins had done a great job on Hawthorne throughout the second half, but lost her on this one particular possession. That set the stage for the bizarre finish.
Besides the strategy issue, Carson hurt itself on the line. The Senators went 2-for-9 at the line in the last 4 1/2 minutes of the game.
“That happened a couple of times tonight, getting lost on defense,” Tolbert said. “That has been a problem during the year, but I felt we did a better job with it tonight.”
Carson trailed 20-16 at the half, but Michelle Perry and Preston scored nine points each in the third quarter, giving the Senators a 38-34 lead.
The Senators opened the half with a 12-3 run to take a 28-23 lead. Preston had three baskets and Perry banked in a 3-pointer. Galena scored five straight to tie the game at 28. Carson scored 10 of the next 16, including a basket and 3-pointer by Perry and a basket by Preston, to take the lead after three.