Decatur struggles in Iowa Park in 38-31 overtime loss
By Robert Morgan | Published Sunday, February 15, 2009
Two games between Decatur and Iowa Park were not enough to decide which team deserves the third and final playoff spot in District 5-3A. The Lady Eagles won the first meeting three weeks ago, but the Hawks came out on top in the rematch at Iowa Park, a game filled with aggressive defense but lackluster offense. Decatur rallied from 10 points down to force overtime but was outscored 12-5 in the extended period en route to a 38-31 loss.
Despite holding Iowa Park to just six total points in the third and fourth quarters, the Lady Eagles were unable to overcome shooting 25 percent from the floor to pull out a win.
Decatur almost avoided the extra playoff when Candace Clayton buried a pair of free throws with 23 seconds left in the game to give her team a 26-24 lead. DHS coach Billy Garner called time-out to set up the defense, but his group did not deliver as the Hawks scored on the same play Garner drew up to tie the game with nine seconds left.
The Lady Eagles missed a shot at the buzzer and went on to lose in overtime.
Both teams are locked at 5-5 in district play and will face-off one more time to determine who moves on to play China Spring, while the loser is finished. The game was scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Henrietta. Bridgeport won the district crown, and Hirschi finished second.
The first quarter was the highest scoring at just 18 total points and Iowa Park did the bulk of it as Presley Gann, who led all scorers with 15 points and scored the final bucker in regulation, carried her team to a 10-8 edge.
The Lady Eagles' scoring woes surfaced in the next two quarters where they managed a combined eight points. They missed nine shots from the floor in the second quarter and fell behind 20-12 at halftime.
Just seven points were scored in the third quarter as the defensive intensity reached a new level in the game. Morgan Rhine, Mercy Staley and Kelsey Hayes helped pick up the tempo for Decatur, which scored four of the seven points to pull within seven points.
The Lady Eagles, who trailed 23-16 through three quarters of the lowest scoring game of the season for both teams, had their best run of the night just in time to force overtime. Candace Clayton nailed two baskets in outscoring the Hawks 10-3 to tie the game at the end of regulation, 26-26.
