RACINE, Ohio —Veteran teams find ways to win games late.
South Gallia forced the Lady Tornadoes into 10 fourth quarter turnovers Thursday night en route to a 58-57 Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division victory in Charles W. Hayman Gymnasium.
The Lady Rebels (8-3, 6-2 TVC Hocking)began the game with a 6-to-2 run but SHS answered with a 6-to-2 run of its own to tie the game early. SGHS scored back-to-back buckets but the Lady Tornadoes scored five unanswered points to take their first lead of the game with 19 second remaining in the first. South Gallia retook the lead just before the end of the period and led 14-13.
Neither team found an edge in the second quarter, as the Lady Rebels held onto their lead but failed to add to it. SGHS led 26-25 at halftime.
Southern regained the lead to open the second half when junior Jordan Huddleston hit the game’s only three-pointer. South Gallia regained its lead a minute into the third quarter when senior Ellie Bostic made the most of an and-one situation. The teams swapped leads five more times in the quarter and the score was tied at 44 headed into the finale.
The Lady Rebels broke the tie just 20 seconds into the fourth but Southern stormed back to take a one-point lead at the 5:26 mark. A 10-to-2 spurt gave the Lady Rebels the lead and their biggest cushion of the game at 56-49. Southern scored six straight points to cut the SGHS lead to one point with 30 seconds left.
South Gallia extended it’s lead to three with 20 seconds left but Southern cut it back to one with five seconds remaining. The Lady Rebels tipped the ball away from Southern to run out the clock and cap off the 58-57 victory.
“Good teams win games that they probably should have never won,” SGHS coach Brett Bostic said after the game. “At the end we did some things that were basically right and you’re always happy to get a win on the road.”
The Lady Rebels were led by Meghan Caldwell with 17 points and seven rebounds, and Ellie Bostic with 11 points and eight rebounds. Lesley Small and Rachel Johnson each had 10 points, while Jasmyne Johnson had eight. Sara Bailey rounded out the SGHS scoring with two points in the triumph.
“Over the break all we worked on was shell defense, getting in position, help side defense and boxing out and it all came through tonight,” Southern coach Scott Cleland said. “Its a moral victory, now they’re believing in themselves because they know that’s the third place team in the league and we took them to the wire.”
Southern was led by Celestia Hendrix with 23 points and 15 rebounds, and Jansen Wolfe with 20 points and 18 rebounds. Jordan Huddleston finished with six points, while Maggie Cummins, Shelby Pickens, Kyrie Swann and Hannah Hill each finished with two points to round out the SHS scoring.
“Southern came out and wanted to play,” said Bostic. “We didn’t shoot the ball very well, we didn’t play very good defense and part of that was what Southern did.”
Southern held a 39-to-25 advantage on the glass but the Lady Rebels had a 22-to-30 advantage in turnovers. There were 10 lead changes in the game, eight of which came in the second half.
South Gallia shot 26-of-59 (44.1 percent) from the field including 0-of-4 from beyond the arc. SGHS was 6-of-17 (35.3 percent) from the charity stripe.
Southern was 25-of-56 (44.6 percent) from the field, 1-of-8 (12.5 percent) from beyond the arc and 6-of-13 (46.2 percent) from the free throw line.
The Lady Rebels have now won three consecutive contests while Southern has lost its fifth straight game. The Lady Rebels will go for the season sweep on January 31st in Mercerville.
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