ANSONIA – Mississinawa Valley endured everything Ansonia threw at them and made enough plays late, capturing a 49-47 win to stay undefeated in the WOAC at 8-0 with three games left to play in the league.
After taking care of Tri-Village, Arcanum, and Newton handily this season, Mississinawa faced their toughest conference test yet with senior veteran players Paige Emrick, Makenna Hoggatt, and Brooklynn Seubert making the big plays in the stretch, staving off a valiant Ansonia upset bid.
Mississinawa got off to a 7-4 start on two field goals and a triple from Brooklynn Seubert by the 3:20 mark in the opening quarter. Ansonia responded, going on an 8-0 run to jump in front 12-7 at 1:20 on the back of Rose Barga with 8 points and a triple from Olivia Creager.
Seubert added another field goal to answer the run scoring all 9 points for the Blackhawks in the first quarter. Charlotte Barga closed the scoring for Ansonia with a triple to end the 2nd quarter with the Tigers leading 15-9.
The scoring pace slowed way down over the next eight minutes. The lid was tight with the Tigers only getting two buckets, one each from London Reichert and Charlotte Barga, and a free throw from Rose.
Mississinawa squeaked out seven points on a triple from sophomore Lilly Geesaman and fielders from Makenna Hoggatt and Seubert … but trailed the Tigers 20-16 at halftime.
Mississinawa nearly matched their entire first half tally in the third quarter, putting up 14 points while holding the Tigers to just six, jumping in front for the second time in the game, taking a 30-26 lead into the final frame.
In the midst of the third quarter, junior forward London Reichert etched her place in Tiger lore, snaring her 448th career rebound for the most in school history, and still has more than a year left to play in her career to add to that career mark.
Reichert was honored for a brief moment, which was followed by a small presentation after the game. Coach Connor Custenborder praised London for her willingness to sacrifice and work hard to get rebounds for the team.
“When you look at her stats over the past three years, her points have gone down, like one or two points a game from her freshman year, but her rebound numbers are up, and that’s just something you have to have. Especially on a team like us, where she’s the only girl healthy that’s 5’10”, or taller. She does a great job for us in that aspect, crashing the offensive glass, getting those second-chance points. We’ve had some very good big girls in our conference in her time here at Ansonia, with the Townsend girl from Mississinawa and the Brinson girl from Dixie. She’s done a good job throughout her career, boxing those great post players out,” Custenborder explained.
Play in the 4th quarter by both teams would have everyone on the edge of their seats and once you thought a team might have made a big play to get an advantage someone else stepped up to make a play.
Brooklynn Seubert hit an elbow jumper to start the final frame that was followed by a short bucket in the lane from Makenna Hoggatt pushing the Hawks’ lead to 34-26 by the six-minute mark.
It looked like Mississinawa was pulling away, that is, until sophomore guard Charlotte Barga caught fire from deep. She connected on two straight triples, one from each corner in the span of just 30 seconds as the Tigers closed to 34-32 and the gym was electrified.
The Hawks needed an answer and got it from senior Paige Emrick, who, up to this point in the game, was held scoreless. Without hesitation, she rose up and fired in a three-ball at the top of the key with a hand in her face to go up 37-32.
Ansonia got a free throw from Reichert, but Emerick drained a second triple to jump ahead by seven, now leading 40-33 at the five-minute mark.
Like dueling banjo’s Charlotte Barga strung her 3rd straight triple keeping the faithful fans of Ansonia engaged and into the game down 40-36.
Seubert scored to go up 42-36 but the three-point Tiger shooting barrage continued as Rose Barga and Olivia Creager both dropped bombs to tie the game at 42 with three minutes remaining.
Mississinawa didn’t panic as Seubert steadied the ship working her way into the middle of the lane for a runner and that was followed up by another scored in the paint from Makenna Hoggatt to go back in front 46-42.
No quit by the Tigers with Reichert making a free throw, and then Rose Barga’s lay-up drew it to 46-45 at the one-minute mark.
With time working against Ansonia, they fouled Seubert who dropped two free throws, the Tigers quickly got ball up court for Charlotte Barga lay-up to make it 48-47.
Another foul sent Seubert back to the line, and this time she would make one. The Tigers would have a chance to tie the game, but after making 5 three’s in the quarter, they couldn’t get the last one to fall, and Mississinawa would get the exciting win 49-47.
After the game, Ansonia coach Connor Custenborder, while sad his team came up short, was pleased they took the fight to Mississinawa, playing them as well as any team this year.
“We knew going in it was going to be a battle. They are a great team, you look at their scores, the teams they beat in our conference, beating them pretty well. They lost their first game of the year and after that, they’ve been on a roll. So, I’m very, very proud of our girls for keeping the fight and when they did go on that run we stuck with it and struck back.
It was a super fun game … all four of our losses this year have been close like this one, I’d like to see us come out on top in one of these,” he stated.
Mississinawa coach Kirk Comer was pleased with his team on how they dealt with adversity in the game and persevered in a game that had an outright league title on the line.
“We were up eight points and had to take Brooklynn and Cora both out at the same time and they hit those two threes down in the corner, where we had a freshman that didn’t get her assignment on defense and get to the outside shoulder to get out on them, you have to give them credit, they hit them,” Comer explained.
“I always try to tell my teams, you just got to stay level through the ups and downs. Don’t get too high when things are going good or too low when things aren’t going so well because over the course of 32 minutes, normally the best team has the best chance of winning,”
“You know, this was a fun game to be part of. I thought both teams played hard and I thought our kids showed a lot of guts coming down the stretch and made the plays we had to make when the game was online. We haven’t been in that position, for a while now,” Comer concluded.
Ansonia was led by Charlotte Barga with 20 points, 11 coming in the 4th quarter comeback. Rose Barga had 15, Olivia Creager 6, and London Reichert 6 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks.
The Tigers fall to 8-4 overall and 4-3 in WOAC, they will host Union City, Indiana on Thursday.
Mississinawa was led by Brooklynn Seubert’s 23 points and 9 rebounds. Makenna Hoggatt had 9 points, 4 assists, Paige Emrick and Cora Hoggatt each had 6 points in the win.
The Blackhawks improve to 13-1 overall and 8-1 in WOAC and they will play at Union County, Indiana on Tuesday.
Score by Quarters
09 … 07 … 14 … 19 – 49 Mississinawa Valley
15 … 05 … 06 … 19 – 47 Ansonia
Team Scoring
MV – L. Geesaman 1-0-0/0 – 3, T. Woodbury 0-1-0/2 – 2, M. Hoggatt 1-3-0/0 – 9, C. Hoggatt 0-2-2/2 – 6, P. Emerick 2-0-2/2 – 6, B. Seubert 1-8-4/7 – 23, Totals 5-14-6/13 – 49
ANS – C. Barga 4-4-0/0 – 20, R. Barga 2-4-1/2 – 15, O. Creager 2-0-0/0 – 6, L. Reichert 0-2-2/4 – 6, Totals 8-10-3/6 – 47
