ALBANY - Bon Jovi's "Keep the Faith" may be the theme song for Pecatonica junior Samantha Mabin and the Vikings girls basketball team.
After shooting 15 percent in the first half, Pecatonica stormed back from a 10-point deficit to stun Albany 37-34 Thursday. Mabin scored a game-high 16 points in the comeback win.
"It was good to see our shots were finally falling," Mabin said. "It was a good run. We were more pumped and ready. We knew it had to be done."
Mabin scored down low with 2 minutes, 13 seconds to go to cut the Comets' lead 31-30. Mabin then hit a jumper in the lane to give the Vikings a 32-31 lead with 1:34 to go.
Albany junior Marley Malkow scored down low with 1:20 left to give the Comets a 33-32 lead. Pecatonica senior Emily Scoville buried a 3-pointer with 55 seconds to go to give the Vikings a 35-33 lead. The Vikings made 2 of 3 free throws in the final 22.6 seconds and senior Brooke Johnson had a key offensive rebound to keep a possession alive.
"She (Scoville) has really been struggling," Pecatonica coach Aaron Lancaster said. "I think she has been thinking a little too much. I told her to just let it go. She is a good shooter. Once she let it go, I was confident it was going in."
Pecatonica (2-16, 2-8 Six Rivers East) shot 39 percent in the second half (11 of 28) and finished 29 percent for the game.
Albany (4-15, 3-7) out-rebounded the Vikings 20-9 in the first half, but committed 21 turnovers. The Vikings came back and had some big rebounds in the second half and closed the rebounding gap, which the Comets owned 33-26.
"I told them the little things that are part of basketball added up and cost us a game because of turnovers and offensive rebounds," Albany coach Adam Wamsley said. "We knew coming into it this was big for seeding purposes. We didn't play good enough defense and we gave up some second shots."
Albany junior Sydnee Woyak scored a team-high nine points and grabbed seven rebounds. Malkow added eight points and had seven rebounds. Albany junior Melissa Shunk added six points and had a team-high eight rebounds.
Albany jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first quarter despite committing seven turnovers. Woyak drilled a 3-pointer and Shunk scored on a putback. The Comets found their rhythm in the second quarter. Albany senior Lyndsay Hoesly knocked down a jumper and Shunk scored on a putback to give the Comets a 15-8 lead with 3:09 to go in the second quarter. Woyak had three offensive rebounds late in the second quarter and was fouled before the buzzer. She made 1 of 2 free throws to give the Comets an 18-8 lead at the half.
"We stressed at halftime that we were getting good shots," Lancaster said of the Vikings. "The girls got more aggressive in the second half going to the basket. Sami Mabin really got to the rim. The kids played their hearts out on both ends of the floor in the second half. The kids made plays. That is what the game is all about. As a coach we just try to put them in position."
Scoville and Johnson both chipped in five points for the Vikings. The 10-point comeback is a stepping stone for the Vikings.
"It makes us feel like we can compete with any team we play," Mabin said.
Wamsley is stressing taking care of the basketball and taking advantage of leads. Albany closes the final two regular season games of the season hosting Black Hawk Feb. 13 and playing at Monticello Feb. 19.
"We lost an opportunity to win a game," he said. "We have to learn to take advantage of our opportunities. We have a chance the next couple of games to build our resume."
After shooting 15 percent in the first half, Pecatonica stormed back from a 10-point deficit to stun Albany 37-34 Thursday. Mabin scored a game-high 16 points in the comeback win.
"It was good to see our shots were finally falling," Mabin said. "It was a good run. We were more pumped and ready. We knew it had to be done."
Mabin scored down low with 2 minutes, 13 seconds to go to cut the Comets' lead 31-30. Mabin then hit a jumper in the lane to give the Vikings a 32-31 lead with 1:34 to go.
Albany junior Marley Malkow scored down low with 1:20 left to give the Comets a 33-32 lead. Pecatonica senior Emily Scoville buried a 3-pointer with 55 seconds to go to give the Vikings a 35-33 lead. The Vikings made 2 of 3 free throws in the final 22.6 seconds and senior Brooke Johnson had a key offensive rebound to keep a possession alive.
"She (Scoville) has really been struggling," Pecatonica coach Aaron Lancaster said. "I think she has been thinking a little too much. I told her to just let it go. She is a good shooter. Once she let it go, I was confident it was going in."
Pecatonica (2-16, 2-8 Six Rivers East) shot 39 percent in the second half (11 of 28) and finished 29 percent for the game.
Albany (4-15, 3-7) out-rebounded the Vikings 20-9 in the first half, but committed 21 turnovers. The Vikings came back and had some big rebounds in the second half and closed the rebounding gap, which the Comets owned 33-26.
"I told them the little things that are part of basketball added up and cost us a game because of turnovers and offensive rebounds," Albany coach Adam Wamsley said. "We knew coming into it this was big for seeding purposes. We didn't play good enough defense and we gave up some second shots."
Albany junior Sydnee Woyak scored a team-high nine points and grabbed seven rebounds. Malkow added eight points and had seven rebounds. Albany junior Melissa Shunk added six points and had a team-high eight rebounds.
Albany jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first quarter despite committing seven turnovers. Woyak drilled a 3-pointer and Shunk scored on a putback. The Comets found their rhythm in the second quarter. Albany senior Lyndsay Hoesly knocked down a jumper and Shunk scored on a putback to give the Comets a 15-8 lead with 3:09 to go in the second quarter. Woyak had three offensive rebounds late in the second quarter and was fouled before the buzzer. She made 1 of 2 free throws to give the Comets an 18-8 lead at the half.
"We stressed at halftime that we were getting good shots," Lancaster said of the Vikings. "The girls got more aggressive in the second half going to the basket. Sami Mabin really got to the rim. The kids played their hearts out on both ends of the floor in the second half. The kids made plays. That is what the game is all about. As a coach we just try to put them in position."
Scoville and Johnson both chipped in five points for the Vikings. The 10-point comeback is a stepping stone for the Vikings.
"It makes us feel like we can compete with any team we play," Mabin said.
Wamsley is stressing taking care of the basketball and taking advantage of leads. Albany closes the final two regular season games of the season hosting Black Hawk Feb. 13 and playing at Monticello Feb. 19.
"We lost an opportunity to win a game," he said. "We have to learn to take advantage of our opportunities. We have a chance the next couple of games to build our resume."
