By Robert Morgan | Published Thursday, February 26, 2009
China Spring had nearly every advantage Friday night against the Decatur High School girls' basketball team. The group was bigger, had a deeper bench, posted more wins this season and has a rich tradition of winning big games, such as the Class 3A state championship two years.
The Lady Eagles were not fazed by the impressive resume and delivered the biggest upset so far in the Class 3A playoff bracket. They slowed down the state-ranked Cougars' punishing inside game just enough to make the 17th lead change of the game count as the game winner in a 52-51 overtime win at Burleson to capture the area championship.
Decatur had a chance to shock China Spring in regulation when it missed a pair of free throws with the game tied at 47-47 with three seconds left. However, they took care of business in the extended period to beat the Cougars despite a little adversity.
Leading scorer and point guard Candace Clayton fouled out with her team trailing 49-47 and 2:46 left to play. Her teammates picked up the slack when Mercy Staley hit a free throw to make it a one-point game before Kelsey Hayes hit a short jumper with 1:36 on the clock to put Decatur back in front 50-49.
China Spring had an answer as it did most of the night when it went to standout post Cara Gorton. The Cougars pounded the ball inside the paint to the 6-foot, 1-inch junior, who often drew double and triple teams. She banked a shot off the glass to put CSHS ahead with a minute left in overtime.
The Lady Eagles have struggled all season from the free throw line but DHS' Morgan Rhine delivered like a champion. The senior was fouled with 21 seconds on the clock and knocked down both free throws - one of which hit the rim several times before dropping through - despite the loud chants from the China Spring student section to put Decatur in front for the final time at 52-51.
The Cougars missed a shot and the Decatur defense forced a turnover in the final 20 seconds. The locals missed a pair of free throws with three seconds left that would had extended the lead, but China Spring missed a Hail Mary shot at the buzzer which sealed the upset.
"These kids have played like this all year. They give it their all every night, and like I've said before, I could not be prouder of how hard these kids play to grind it out," said DHS coach Billy Garner, who has helped guide Decatur to the playoffs in all four years at the helm. "We knew we had to contain that big girl in the middle and our girls did that. She might have scored 21 points, but she earned every single one of them."
The win lifted Decatur to 18-13 for the season and into the regional quarterfinals for the second straight year where it will face rival Bridgeport to determine who advances to the regional tournament this weekend. The Cougars, ranked No. 7 in the state, finished at 23-7.
The game was tight from start to finish as neither team led by more than five points. The first quarter was a sign of things to come as the lead traded sides six times.
China Spring took the lead twice on three-pointers by Chelsea Kent. However, Decatur answered every time thanks to a trey by Clayton and baskets by Kelsey Hayes and Cassie Partridge. Partridge hit her second basket of the game at the buzzer to give DHS a 13-12 lead.
The second quarter was nearly as close, as the game was tied on three occasions. The Lady Eagles made their biggest run of the night just before halftime to take the biggest lead for either team when Jaci Isham, Staley and Partridge scored six straight points to put DHS ahead 33-28 at halftime.
China Spring went back to work inside the paint to start the second half and it made a difference. The group scored seven of the first nine points to tie things up again at 35-35.
Both struggled through foul problems the rest of the way but it did nothing to change the pace of the game. Staley scored to give Decatur the lead back, but the Cougars followed by scoring the last eight points of the third quarter to take their biggest lead at 43-37.
The Lady Eagles refused to go away and started fighting back from the start of the fourth quarter when Clayton swished a three-pointer. Staley and Rhine knocked down free throws to tie the game at 45-45 and set the stage for the thrilling finish.
Clayton finished the night with 19 points, four steals and four assists, while Rhine racked up 10 points and nine rebounds. Partridge, who caused Gorton problems all night, chalked up eight points and 10 rebounds. Staley posted six seven points, Hayes added five and Isham put up three.
