SIDNEY – The Mississinawa Valley girls basketball team battled through adversity, with two key players fouling out late in the game. They persevered into overtime and won on a Taylee Woodbury layup, splitting two Russia defenders for a 45-44 win.
Woodbury had a chance to win the game in regulation and had the ball in her hands but was walled off on the baseline and unable to get a shot off … but she wasn’t about to let that happen in the overtime period.
Russia took e a one-point lead with 14 seconds to play, and Woodbury was able to push the ball up the floor this time she wasn’t going to be denied as she had eyes on getting to the rim with time dwindling.
“I was stressed out; I knew I had to score, and as soon as I saw that open lane, I was like, I’m going for it. I took it in and went up strong, and when I made it, I felt really happy,” Woodbury said with a big grin.
But it wasn’t an easy one for the Blackhawks, and they knew they were going to be in for a fight … one that couldn’t be settled in regulation.
“This was not easy at all it never is … I mean, Russia is a monster in itself, and we had to get past the name on their Jersey, past the fact that they’re really good on top of that and just play hard. I mean, we couldn’t be prouder of the girls for the way they played today,” Mississinawa Valley coach Michael Paige said after the celebration died down.
Mississinawa early on looked like they were the team with the big name on their jerseys as they jumped out in front 17-7 to start the game.
The Hawks got scoring from the big four, on the inside, outside and from the free throw line.
Paige Emrick was aggressive getting to the rim scoring a lay-up and three free throws.
Taylee Woodbury knocked down a triple and layup.
Brooklynn Seubert had four points inside and Syenna Purdin added a trey for good measure.
With Mississinawa leading 22-12 at the 4:05 mark Russia extended their zone defense and full court pressure to hold the Hawks scoreless the rest of the quarter while chipping away at the lead to 22-18 at the half.
After the break, the Raiders picked up where they left off, taking the lead 25-22 before Taylee Woodbury buried a long triple with 2:28 to go in the third quarter.
Up until that bucket, Russia had 13 unanswered points and held Mississinawa scoreless for 10 minutes of basketball in the second and third quarters.
Mississinawa only had 3 points in the third quarter, falling behind 29-25 until Woodbury picked up her team to start the fourth quarter, connecting on her 4th trey of the game to cut the margin to 29-28.
Russia pushed the lead back out to five, 33-28 … Emrick’s free throw, followed by Purdin’s deep three from the wing kept the Hawks in reach 33-32.
Mississinawa stepped up their pressure on defense going full court and extended a trap defense in the half court to generate opportunities for some easy baskets.
They finally got one with Woodbury getting a left-handed lay-up to go in front 34-33 at 2:48.
On the ensuing trip down the floor, Emrick fouled out, and Russia made a free throw to tie the game at 34.
Russia had the ball with a chance to win the game in regulation, but Tenlee Woodbury, filling in for Emrick, got a steal to give Mississinawa a chance. Taylee was walled off on the baseline, and it was on to overtime.
Cora Hoggatt broke the tie with a free throw to start and moments later Tenlee and Taylee forced a turnover that Taylee scored off of to go in front 37-34.
But in this roller coaster of game, it’s all about the next hill or turn … this time the Raiders scored on two straight possessions to jump back in front 38-37 at 2:28 in OT.
It was starting to resemble the stubborn game of “anything you can do, I can do better,” as Brooklynn Seubert, who hadn’t scored since the first half, got one to go in the lane 39-38, and Russia jumped back in front on a bucket 40-39.
Syenna Purdin did her version on a drive to the rim to give MV the lead back 41-40 and soon followed up by Taylee with two free throws making it 43-40.
Seubert however drew her 5th foul and the Raiders made two tosses to close to 43-42 with .36 seconds to play.
Russia toed the line two more times once at.25 seconds the other with .14 to play going 2-for-4 – but more importantly taking back the lead 44-43.
But the stage was set for Taylee Woodbury to deliver on her quest to get to the rim for the ultimate ‘I can do better’, game winner.
With MV up 45-44 there was still a little bit of time left for Russia as they raced the ball up floor but their path to the basket was cut off by Purdin and the ball bounced off her and out of bounds with 0.0 showing on the clock.
As if the game didn’t have enough drama already the officials huddled and put 0.6 seconds back on the clock, with many tickers in the gym already elevated they would have to endure one more play.
Russia was unable to score in that time and Mississinawa survived in overtime to win back-to-back District Championships.
After the game coach Paige talked about his team and the effort needed by all of them to win the game.
“Obviously the four girls, Taylee, Syenna, Paige and Brooklynn have been the core that make a lot of big plays for our team. But over the least three-or four-weeks Cora Hoggatt has stepped up rebounding and playing good defense, and that’s what we asked her to do, and it’s been huge. But in those big moments, to be able to have Taylee out there and just take control to step up and get a couple steals late and to be able to finish. Then Brooklyn finishing inside and Syenna hitting a big three late along with that lay-up. I mean, it’s all the shots, all the play made were huge and we needed every single one,” Paige explained.
Mississinawa Players celebrate District Championship win. (Dale Barger photo)
Paige went on – “In practice this week we really focused on our bench players coming in, being ready when we need them to step up and play hard. Tenlee came in and got a monster stop, and a steal – she’s a defensive girl, and as a freshman, to come in and do that is amazing. Then McKenna Hoggatt came off the bench and gave us great minutes, got some rebounds, took some good shots, even though she didn’t make it, she made the defense adjust, because she’s willing to take it. So, our bench, really stepped up and we needed them as well,” Paige added.
After waiting 50 years for a District Championship the Blackhawks only had to wait one year to get the second one and Taylee Woodbury explains it best about what that means to the team and community.
“It’s really amazing, like, it just it makes us all so happy. Our team, we’re all so proud of each other, and we’re just really pumped like we have a really good community, and we’re so thankful for it. They really show up for us and support us in everything we do, and we want to make all of them proud,” Taylee concluded.
While the community is proud of the Lady Blackhawks they don’t want this to be the end as they showcased warm-up jerseys prior to the game with the statement ‘Finish the Story’.
The story they want to tell will continue in the Regional Semi-Finals Wednesday at Vandalia Butler HS where they will take on Legacy Christian, game time 7:30pm.
