Lady Pointers edge Fairland in final seconds
Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 13, 2003
PEDRO -- Coach Dave Adams drew up the play, then watched as his South Point Lady Pointers executed it picture perfect.
Down 43-42 with 11 seconds left, Jessi Craft took the inbounds pass and lobbed it to Latisha Koukos who turned and scored inside. Alisha Bridges added a foul shot seconds later and South Point escaped with a 45-43 win over the Fairland Lady Dragons Wednesday in the Division III sectional tournament semifinals.
"That was exactly what we were looking for," Adams said. "We noticed they were overplaying Craft and (Allison) Perdue, and we saw Koukos was open. The girls did a good job of executing the play."
The successful execution of the play means South Point (13-7) will face Ironton at 2:45 p.m. Saturday in the sectional finals at Rock Hill High School. The first game at 1 p.m. has Oak Hill playing Wheelersburg.
Perdue had 13 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists to pace the Lady Pointers. Craft added 9 points and six rebounds.
Fairland (9-12) was led by Jennifer Jones with 14 points. Megan Fisher had 9 points, seven rebounds, four steals and two assists.
Jones sat out part of the third and fourth quarters with foul trouble. South Point was able to capitalize on her absence and erase a 10-point deficit.
"When Jones went out, that hurt us," Fairland coach Nathan Speed said. "We had three sophomores out there and (South Point's) press hurt us. And they made their free throws at the end and we didn't."
Neither team shot free throws well for the game, but South Point converted 8 of 13 in the fourth quarter. Fairland was only 10 of 21 from the line and the Pointers finished 13 of 26.
South Point led 6-3 early, but Fairland used a baseline jumper and
a three-point play by Kristen Berry to go up 8-6. Fisher had a steal and layup to make it 10-6, but Koukos followed up a missed shot with two seconds left and Fairland led 10-8 as the quarter ended.
Craft's 15-footer with 6:28 left in the half tied the score at an even dozen. Fairland then went on a 10-0 run capped by Jones' layup at the 2:36 mark. Free throws by Bridges, Craft and Summer Malone cut the deficit to 24-17. Fisher's layup as time expired gave Fairland a 26-17 halftime lead.
A three-point play by Malone got South Point within 30-28. Fisher made two foul shots and Craft made the second of two foul shots and the Lady Dragons had a 32-29 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Lady Pointers finally regained the lead at 38-37 with 3:46 to play on two foul shots by Perdue. The lead changed hands four times including two free throws by Fisher with 48 seconds left that put Fairland ahead 43-40.
Craft and Koukos each made a foul shot and it was 43-42 with 20 seconds left.
South Point stole the inbounds pass and then set up the winning shot with 11 seconds to play.
Fairland missed a shot, Bridges rebounded and was fouled. She sank the second free throw with five seconds to play. Fairland was unable to get off the final shot
Fairland1016611--43
South Point891216--45
FAIRLAND (9-12):
Megan Fisher 2-8 (0-1) 5-11 9, Kristen Berry 2-7 (0-0) 1-1 5, Jennifer Jones 6-15 (1-5) 1-2 14, Britani Keeney 2-4 (0-0) 0-3 4, Jennifer Legg 3-10 (0-5) 0-0 6, Brianna Davis 0-3 (0-2) 3-4 3, Kaycie Lydell 1-1 (0-0) 0-0 2, Kristen Brumfield 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 0. Totals: 16-48
(1-13)
10-21
43. Fouls: 23. Fouled out: Jones, Fisher. Rebounds: 13-20=33 (Keeney 9, Fisher 7, Berry 7). Team/deadball rebounds: 5. Assists: 6 (Fisher 2, Berry 2). Steals: 13 (Fisher 4, Keeney 3). Turnovers: 23.
SOUTH POINT (13-7):
Alisha Bridges 3-6 (0-2) 2-7 8, Latisha Koukos 2-2 (0-0) 1-4 5, Jessi Craft 3-11 (0-0) 3-6 9, Allison Perdue 5-14 (0-2) 3-4 13, Sarah Stevens 2-4 (0-0) 0-0 4, Summer Malone 1-4 (0-0) 2-3 4, Whitney Woody 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 0, Jamie Moore 0-1 (0-0) 2-2 2. Totals: 16-42
(0-4)
13-26
45. Fouls: 23. Fouled out: None. Rebounds: 8-22 (Perdue 6, Craft 6, Stevens 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 4. Assists: 8 (Perdue 2, Koukos 2). Steals: 12 (Stevens 3, Perdue 3, Craft 3). Turnovers: 21.