By Robert Morgan | Published Thursday, February 19, 2009
It took three games between Decatur and Iowa Park high schools to determine which team deserved the third and final playoff post in District 5-3A. The teams met up Saturday in Henrietta in a tie-breaker game that mirrored the first two games between the two schools - limited scoring and lots of fouls.
The Lady Eagles had most of the fouls this time around as two starters were lost before the game ended, but they once again found a way to come out on top. They overcame a nine-point, third-quarter deficit to rally for a 39-36 victory.
Trailing 27-18 midway through the third quarter, Decatur relied on its defense to save the day and the season. The locals chipped away at the deficit by holding the Hawks to just 17 points in the second half.
The Lady Eagles finally got the lead midway through the fourth quarter when it moved in front 35-34. Sophomore Jordan Alker later caught a pass from Candace Clayton who was double teamed and drove in for an easy lay-up to make it a 37-34 ball game.
The Hawks made it a one-point game with less than a minute left with a lay-up to make it a 37-36 contest.
Iowa Park sent Clayton to the free-throw line with four seconds left in the game, and the senior sealed the deal.
"There were no surprises in this one. Both teams knew what the other was going to do," said DHS coach Billy Garner. "We did a much better job rebounding in the second half, and that helped us get back in it. This team always fights for what it wants."
The Lady Eagles, who have made the playoffs all four years under Garner's leadership, moved to 18-13 for the season and will face seventh-ranked China Spring for the area championship. The game is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Burleson.
The loss ended Iowa Park's season at 19-11, and the Hawks will miss the playoffs for the first time in four years under coach Jacinda Langen.
Decatur got the start it needed thanks to Morgan Rhine. The senior scored 10 first-quarter points, including two three-pointers, to give DHS a 12-4 lead.
The Hawks, however, did not stay down for long as they scored the final four points of the first quarter to make it a 12-8 contest. They carried that momentum into the second quarter where they scored 11 of the 15 total points.
Decatur managed just four points in the second quarter and trailed 19-16 at halftime.
Morgan scored all of her points in the first quarter and led the team in scoring with 10 points. Mercy Staley finished the night with nine points, one more than Alker who had eight on four of five shooting from the floor. Clayton added seven points and Hayes had five. Hayes also had a team-best 12 rebounds.
