By Robert Morgan | Published Thursday, February 12, 2009
Decatur High School girls' basketball coach Billy Garner knew his team had to find a way to overcome Bridgeport's two biggest strengths - free-throw shooting and defense. That didn't happen in the rematch Friday night in Decatur and the end result was the same.
The Sissies, who held on while Decatur tied the score twice, delivered in the clutch just like the first meeting three weeks ago. Twelve of their 16 fourth-quarter points came from the charity stripe and that was more than enough to pull away for a 46-37 victory.
DHS senior post Kelsey Hayes tied the game at 30-30 on the first possession of the fourth quarter with a short jumper inside the paint. However, the Sissies never fell behind as Marissa Grooms hit the first of a dozen free throws in the last eight minutes to get the lead back.
The Bridgeport defense stole the rest of the show. The group, led by the senior trio of Kaitlyn Waynen, Shannon Demmitt and Grooms, allowed just two baskets and forced five turnovers in the fourth quarter to wrap up the season sweep.
The win allowed Bridgeport, ranked fifth in the state, to move one win away from an undefeated district championship at 9-0 in league play and 28-1 overall. Decatur slipped to 5-4 and 16-12, respectively, and needed a win at Iowa Park in the season finale Tuesday night to earn the third and final playoff spot. A loss to the Hawks would require a playoff between the two schools this weekend to determine which team advances.
The Lady Eagles were crisp from the start of the game against BHS in front of a near capacity crowd, which included the high school band. A pair of free throws by Morgan Rhine, one via Hayes and a lay-up from Candace Clayton gave the host a 5-2 lead.
Decatur, which was solid defensively in holding the Sissies scoreless for three minutes, saw the lead slip away when Waynen hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 5-5 with 3:47 left in the first quarter.
Waynen scored three more times, and Kim Bible drove the baseline for two, which gave BHS a 13-7 lead after one quarter.
Hayes made things interesting in the second quarter when she went to work under the basket. The senior scored back-to-back baskets to make it a one-possession game.
Shannon Demmitt and Clayton traded free throws to keep it a three-point game. DHS's Morgan Rhine hit her biggest shot of the night when she converted a traditional three-point play to tie the game at 20-20 with 2:21 left in the half.
The Lady Eagles were their own worst enemy down the stretch as miscues prevented them from moving in front. They missed their last four shots of the half and were whistled for three lane violations in the final minutes. Bridgeport post Haley Meekins scored her first basket of the game with 1:33 left in the half to give BHS a 22-20 halftime lead.
Grooms scored three times in the third quarter to give the Sissies an eight-point cushion. Like all the leads, that one was never safe, and Decatur eventually pulled within two points on a three-pointer via Mercy Staley.
Bridgeport finished the night 22 of 28 from the free-throw line to hold on the rest of the way. Decatur, which has struggled from the charity stripe all season, shot its best of the season (12 of 16) but did not have enough attempts to keep pace.
