JUDA - When the schedule comes out each season, the Black Hawk girls basketball team is quick to circle its game at Juda.
Suffice it to say the Warriors are getting used to that game being one of the most difficult it plays each season.
"This has been a tough place for us to play," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan confirmed. "We were hoping it would be different, but we should've known better."
The state's No. 2-ranked team in Division 5 mustered just eight points in the first half and watched Juda's Katlyn DeVoe hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation Thursday night before finally putting away the Panthers 39-34 in a tense overtime period.
Senior forward Kayla Meier scored 13 points and senior guard Chaesta Shager added eight for the Warriors (12-0,
5-0 Six Rivers East), who extended their regular-season winning streak to 54 games.
"Perseverance, getting past adversity, surviving up-and-down emotions ... we had to ride the storm a little bit," Flanagan said. "I'm just happy we pulled it out."
Black Hawk didn't help itself by shooting an anemic 36 percent (9 of 25) from the free throw line - including just 2 of 9 in the final 1 minute, 38 seconds of the fourth quarter. Senior forward Kate Quinn hit one of two with 49.9 seconds left to give the Warriors what seemed like a comfortable
33-25 lead.
But Juda (10-4, 3-2) scored eight straight points to close the period, with DeVoe hitting a 3-pointer from the right baseline and senior forward Ellen Kiser making a steal and hitting two free throws to pull the Panthers within 33-30 with 18 seconds left.
After a Black Hawk turnover, DeVoe struck again, the senior guard hitting another 3-pointer from the right corner to tie it at 33.
"I just got the ball, set myself and shot it," DeVoe said. "Once it went it and I saw on the scoreboard that it was tied, I was like, 'OK, now we have a chance. We're in this. We can win."
The four-minute overtime was scoreless until Meier broke free underneath and was fouled. She hit one of two foul shots with 50.7 left, and after a Juda turnover, Jen Wellnitz scored on a drive nine seconds later to put Black Hawk ahead 36-33.
DeVoe almost made it a trifecta of high-pressure 3s, but her shot from the right corner with 30 seconds left went partially down before bouncing out in what was Juda's last good look. Kiser's free throw with 14.8 seconds left was the Panthers' only point in overtime, and the Warriors hit three of four free throws in the final 10 seconds to end it.
"We practiced the hardest we ever have this week," Meier said. "We knew we had to come in here and play hard. We just had to stay with it and stay in our offense and couldn't get flustered."
Trailing 12-8 at halftime, Flanagan changed things up in attacking Juda's 1-2-2 zone.
"We came with the secondary offense that we've been working on," Flanagan said. "I felt like it allowed us to exploit some gaps in their zone a little bit better - we were able to space the floor. I kind of wish we'd gone to it earlier, but the kids picked up on it and found the right spots."
Black Hawk closed the third quarter on an 8-0 run, Shager's mid-range jumper with four seconds left giving the Warriors their first lead at 19-17. They held it until DeVoe's big 3-pointer with seconds left in regulation.
DeVoe and senior forward Amber Ramos scored nine points apiece to lead Juda, and senior guard C.J. Dunwiddie added eight. The teams' leading scorers, Juda's Kiser and Black Hawk's Wellnitz, were held to six and four points, respectively.
Tears streamed down DeVoe's face as she completed the postgame handshake, and they were still flowing 10 minutes after the game.
"I just don't even know what to say - we wanted it so bad," DeVoe said. "We practiced so hard this week for this game. Everyone is telling us we should be proud, and we are proud of ourselves, but we just wanted it so bad."
Juda coach Curt Brown said the Panthers took a big step psychologically in preparing for Black Hawk.
"I knew before the game they believed they could win, and that's a huge step for us here in Juda," Brown said of his players. "It's been a long road to get to that point where you say, 'Throw the balls out there, we can play with the best team in the state.'
"We came up short, but we'll hopefully be ready the next time."
Suffice it to say the Warriors are getting used to that game being one of the most difficult it plays each season.
"This has been a tough place for us to play," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan confirmed. "We were hoping it would be different, but we should've known better."
The state's No. 2-ranked team in Division 5 mustered just eight points in the first half and watched Juda's Katlyn DeVoe hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation Thursday night before finally putting away the Panthers 39-34 in a tense overtime period.
Senior forward Kayla Meier scored 13 points and senior guard Chaesta Shager added eight for the Warriors (12-0,
5-0 Six Rivers East), who extended their regular-season winning streak to 54 games.
"Perseverance, getting past adversity, surviving up-and-down emotions ... we had to ride the storm a little bit," Flanagan said. "I'm just happy we pulled it out."
Black Hawk didn't help itself by shooting an anemic 36 percent (9 of 25) from the free throw line - including just 2 of 9 in the final 1 minute, 38 seconds of the fourth quarter. Senior forward Kate Quinn hit one of two with 49.9 seconds left to give the Warriors what seemed like a comfortable
33-25 lead.
But Juda (10-4, 3-2) scored eight straight points to close the period, with DeVoe hitting a 3-pointer from the right baseline and senior forward Ellen Kiser making a steal and hitting two free throws to pull the Panthers within 33-30 with 18 seconds left.
After a Black Hawk turnover, DeVoe struck again, the senior guard hitting another 3-pointer from the right corner to tie it at 33.
"I just got the ball, set myself and shot it," DeVoe said. "Once it went it and I saw on the scoreboard that it was tied, I was like, 'OK, now we have a chance. We're in this. We can win."
The four-minute overtime was scoreless until Meier broke free underneath and was fouled. She hit one of two foul shots with 50.7 left, and after a Juda turnover, Jen Wellnitz scored on a drive nine seconds later to put Black Hawk ahead 36-33.
DeVoe almost made it a trifecta of high-pressure 3s, but her shot from the right corner with 30 seconds left went partially down before bouncing out in what was Juda's last good look. Kiser's free throw with 14.8 seconds left was the Panthers' only point in overtime, and the Warriors hit three of four free throws in the final 10 seconds to end it.
"We practiced the hardest we ever have this week," Meier said. "We knew we had to come in here and play hard. We just had to stay with it and stay in our offense and couldn't get flustered."
Trailing 12-8 at halftime, Flanagan changed things up in attacking Juda's 1-2-2 zone.
"We came with the secondary offense that we've been working on," Flanagan said. "I felt like it allowed us to exploit some gaps in their zone a little bit better - we were able to space the floor. I kind of wish we'd gone to it earlier, but the kids picked up on it and found the right spots."
Black Hawk closed the third quarter on an 8-0 run, Shager's mid-range jumper with four seconds left giving the Warriors their first lead at 19-17. They held it until DeVoe's big 3-pointer with seconds left in regulation.
DeVoe and senior forward Amber Ramos scored nine points apiece to lead Juda, and senior guard C.J. Dunwiddie added eight. The teams' leading scorers, Juda's Kiser and Black Hawk's Wellnitz, were held to six and four points, respectively.
Tears streamed down DeVoe's face as she completed the postgame handshake, and they were still flowing 10 minutes after the game.
"I just don't even know what to say - we wanted it so bad," DeVoe said. "We practiced so hard this week for this game. Everyone is telling us we should be proud, and we are proud of ourselves, but we just wanted it so bad."
Juda coach Curt Brown said the Panthers took a big step psychologically in preparing for Black Hawk.
"I knew before the game they believed they could win, and that's a huge step for us here in Juda," Brown said of his players. "It's been a long road to get to that point where you say, 'Throw the balls out there, we can play with the best team in the state.'
"We came up short, but we'll hopefully be ready the next time."
