It came down to the final seconds of the game.
The West Valley girls managed to hold on to a three point lead to beat Anderson 60-57. The Eagles also walked away with the NAL championship, giving them the No.1 seed in the Northern Section Division IV playoffs.
It was a ruthless battle back and forth for much of the game, but it was the final two minutes of the game that would show the determination on both sides.
West Valley (8-0 NAL, 18-6) grabbed every loose ball, rebounded and hit its shots when it matter. Anderson (6-2 NAL, 18-8) kept pace, but small mistakes kept them from gaining on the small lead their opponents had.
Anderson’s Katie Nunnelley was fouled and sunk one of her two rebounds, putting the Cubs within one score of West Valley. Taylor Ross grabbed the missed shot, passing it to Eagle teammate Kindall Vincent, who was fouled.
Vincent made both free throw shots to put West Valley up 58-54 with 22 seconds left.
Anderson brought the score within two when Emily English nabbed the rebound off of Bre Wilson’s shot and passed it to Nunnelley, who hit her shot before being fouled.
Nunnelley didn’t make her shots, and teammate Celena Ragsdale wasn’t able to control the rebound, sending it out of bounds and back to West Valley with six second left.
Marleigh Ostrom threw a pass right into the waiting arms of Wilson, who missed the layup that would’ve tied the game at 58.
Instead, Eagles’ Paige Burson seized the rebound before being fouled. Burson hit both free throws to pad West Valley’s lead 60-56.
The Cubs got the ball back and then passed it to the other side of the court to Fallon Greenhaw who went for the layup, but was blocked by Aubrey Mendonca and knocked to the ground as time ran out.
Greenhaw was given two free throws and only nailed one, giving West Valley a 60-57 win.
Burson, Mendonca and Vincent led the Eagles in scoring with 13 points each. Ostrom tacked on nine.
English lead the Cubs in scoring with 14 points, Nunnelley added 13 and nine rebounds, Ragsdale tacked up 12 and Wilson finished with 11.
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
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