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Undefeated Rockets survive overtime test
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Lowellville’s Rachel Durbin (31) defends Western Reserve’s Tori Korda (33) during a basketball game Thursday in Berlin Center. The Rockets needed overtime to defeat the Blue Devils, 65-59.
By Tom Williams
BERLIN CENTER
After 15 lopsided victories, Lowellville High girls basketball coach Tony Matisi quietly was hoping his team would face a strong test before tournament season.
Western Reserve delivered a full-fledged exam in Thursday’s Inter Tri-County League Tier Two rematch. The Blue Devils overcame an early 11-point deficit to force overtime on Colleen Kennehan’s last-second layup.
But in the extra session, the Rockets regained control to post a 65-59 victory on the Blue Devils’ court.
“I was glad we had one of these, I really was,” said Matisi of the nip-and-tuck battle. “We’ve got big games coming up in the tournament.
“You don’t want to lose but I was glad to be tested like this.”
Taylor Hvisdak’s 3-pointer to open the overtime scoring set the tone for the Rockets (16-0, 11-0).
“After the missed free throw, I need something to boost me up,” said Hvisdak of her attempt that missed with eight seconds remaining in regulation. “It felt good to get my head back into the game.”
The Rockets led 53-51 when Hvisdak missed. Sammi Burton rebounded for the Blue Devils (13-3. 9-2) and fed the ball Kennehan who drove to the basket and tied the game.
Trailing 56-53, the Blue Devils took their final lead on a Hannah Mowery basket and two free throws by Hannah Shrader.
But foul trouble depleted the Blue Devils. First, Tori Korda picked up her fifth personal foul and Kelly Hynes responded with two free throws to put the Rockets ahead for good.
Then Burton, whose scored eight in the fourth quarter, sat with her fifth foul.
“She had a phenomenal game,” said Western Reserve coach Josh Scott of Burton, who scored 22 points, made five rebounds and blocked a shot. “She has so much heart and determination, and she’s so strong.”
The Rockets closed out overtime with Ashley Moore making five free throws and Emily Carlson two.
Scott said his postgame speech pointed out “how we played with heart and how we fought through adversity.
“They are a great team but I feel we are a great team. I hope we proved that a little bit tonight”
The margin of victory in their first game was 38 points.
“We had a real easy time with them and I knew we weren’t 40 points better than them,” Matisi said. “They are a very good team.”
The Blue Devils’ other loss was to South Range, one of the ITCL Tier One’s first-place teams.
“We kept telling [the Rockets] all week that it’s going to be a hostile environment, you’re going to see some adversity,” said Matisi. “It never got through to them.
Hvisdak also made 10 rebounds while Rachel Durbin contributed 15 points. Moore had 10 points, six rebounds and three steals while Carlson had 10 points and seven steals.
For the Blue Devils, Kennehan scored 13 points, Mowery 12 and Schrader 10.