ADAMS TOWNSHIP — Down 39-30 midway through the final period at home to Greenfield McClain in an early South Central Ohio League girls basketball showdown Tuesday, Clinton-Massie head coach Carlos Roberts knew where his team was headed.
Overtime.
“I told them in the huddle, ‘Hey, we’re going to get overtime out of this. If we get them to overtime, we’re going to win it,’” Roberts said.
And that’s exactly what happened when Miquela Santoro’s bucket with 1:05 left and two free throws 40 seconds later gave Massie a 46-43 lead and victory.
The Falcons (2-0, 1-0) held on as McClain (1-1, 0-1) misfired on a game-tying three-point attempt with :03 to go.
Santoro was one of three Falcons in double figures with 10 points. She also had six steals. Johanna Theetge added 11 points. Madison Purkey had a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Savannah Myers just missed a double-double with nine points and 17 rebounds.
“Once we start clicking, things will be OK,” Roberts said.
Myers’ free throws with 26.8 seconds remaining in regulation completed Massie’s 9-0 run and forced the extra period. The rest of the spurt consisted of free throws by Theetge and Purkey, a Purkey bomb and a Madilyn Newton jumper.
The Tigers had a couple cracks at a game winner after that.
“We played really good basketball for 30, 32 minutes, and we didn’t for six,” McClain head coach Jarrod Haines said. “They’re a good enough team that they took advantage of our mistakes. We didn’t finish.
“I thought our girls played an excellent ballgame. I feel awful for them. I know they’re really upset. But we’ll bounce back. I feel (Massie) is the best team in the league. We just proved we can compete with anybody.”
After Massie scored the first six points of the game, the Tigers responded with a 22-6 run to build a 22-12 cushion.
The Falcons whittled McClain’s lead back to 23-20 before a Tiger three just before the end of the half.
Massie stayed within six of McClain for the next quarter and a half until Taylor Polley dialed long-distance and cashed in steal for two plus two Beth Montgomery free throws put the Tigers up 39-30.
Polley finished with 18 points. Teammate Maddy Stegbauer added 12.
In the JV contest, Sydney Leary led the Falcons to a 37-28 victory with eight points. Kelli Urhig led the Tigers with seven.
SUMMARY
Nov 24, 2015
@Clinton-Massie High School
Clinton-Massie 46 McClain 43 OT
GM 16.10.06.07.04…..43
CM 12.08.08.11.07…..46
(43) McCLAIN (fg-ft-tp) Malea Montavon 1-1-3, Polley 4-9-18, Barton 1-0-2, Coleman 0-0-0, Montgomery 1-2-4, Stegbauer 5-0-12, Makenzie Montavan 1-2-4, Total 13-14-43. 3-point goals: 3 (Stegbauer 2, Polley). FTM-FTA 14-20, 60 percent.
(46) CLINTON-MASSIE (fg-ft-tp) Santoro 4-2-10, Theege 4-3-11, Rose 1-0-2, Purkey 5-1-12, Myers 2-5-9, Cottrell 0-0-0, Fisher 0-0-0, Leary 0-0-0, Ireland 0-0-0, Newton 1-0-2, Total 17-11-46. 3-point goals: 1 (Purkey). FTM-FTA 11-16, 69 percent.
