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Jag-saw Puzzle: Horn rallies in fourth, squeaks by Lady Eagles in OT
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com
In a game that featured six ties and 12 lead changes, it'd probably qualify as a disappointment if Tuesday's matchup between the Allen and Mesquite Horn girls basketball teams didn't end up in overtime.
The Lady Eagles and Lady Jaguars didn't disappoint on that front, battling past regulation and into a nip-and-tuck overtime period that saw Horn stand strong in the clutch for a narrow 60-59 victory.
"I could kiss them all right now," said Kasie Brewer, Horn head coach. "We've talked about heart and hard work all season and these girls are just amazing with the way they fought tonight.
The Lady Jaguars rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime at 52-52. After the first four minutes of OT were decided at the free-throw line for a 55-54 Horn advantage, the two teams let loose in the game's final 60 seconds.
And Allen junior Anna Horowitz and Horn senior Kristina Smith had their fingerprints on every bit of the melee.
Horowitz dealt the first blow by splitting the defense with a pass to junior Ericka May for a lay-in and a 56-55 lead with 1:00 left. Fifteen seconds later, Smith countered with her sixth 3-pointer and 22nd point of the night -- this one off the backboard for a 58-56 advantage.
"I call that the Australian Bank," Brewer said. "I had a teammate in college who always shot backboard 3's, so I've taught Tina that and it paid off for her tonight."
Horowitz, who led Allen with 16 points and five assists, immediately responded by converting an and-1 for a 59-58 lead with 37 seconds left. Smith would return fire though, dropping a no-look pass off the dribble to freshman Jada Underwood for a 60-59 edge with 15 seconds left.
The Lady Jaguars' defense stood firm moments later, with junior Lauren Bradshaw turning away a layup by Horowitz for her fifth block of the night to go along with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Horowitz would get one last crack at the win after Horn missed a free throw, but a contested layup went awry and the Lady Jaguars secured the win.
"[Horowitz] did a good job of getting to rim and with dribble penetration," said Sean Weibling, Allen head coach. "It's what we needed at the time. When you have shooters like we have, you need to have a counter for that and we need someone who can get to the rim and draw fouls like that."
The Lady Eagles found themselves past regulation after being outscored, 18-9, in the fourth quarter. In doing so, Allen was victimized by five fourth-quarter turnovers and having just five total through the first three quarters.
"I think it was mental mistakes more than anything," Weibling said. "A lot of those turnovers were unforced and us just not being focused. It's a learning experience and something we'll get better from."
Horn senior Tyler Hamilton completed the comeback by scoring her only six points of the night -- to go along with six boards and 13 assists -- in a 5-second span, knocking down a 3-pointer, quickly stealing the ball and converting an and-1 for a 50-50 tie with 3:18 left.
The Lady Jaguars rallied from a 43-34 deficit after the third quarter, a frame in which they surrendered a 13-1 run to the Lady Eagles.
"What we always talk about is the next play," Brewer said. "We talk about having a short-term memory in the game of basketball where you need to forget what happens and move onto the next play."
The Lady Eagles established that advantage largely behind the drive-and-kick game by Horowitz and senior Tammara Turner to create many an open 3-pointer. Allen knocked down 10 3-balls on the night, including three from both May (11 points) and sophomore McKenzie Martin (11 points). Senior Rachel Piles cleaned up underneath for nine points and 10 boards.
"Our kids shoot the ball real well," Weibling said. "We've got multiple kids, from starters to players off the bench, who can shoot it well. It's a big part of our game and we need to take advantage of it."
Bradshaw and Smith joined forces for an inside-outside tandem that put the Lady Eagles in a 19-15 hole after one quarter and a 28-26 deficit at halftime.
The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak by Allen while giving the Lady Jaguars their third straight victory.
Horn opens District 12-5A play Friday at 7 p.m. against Mansfield Timberview while Allen travels to Flower Mound Marcus at 7:30 p.m.
"District starts soon for us and that's what we're preparing for," Brewer said. "We want to win district and that starts now. They have a hunger and a want, and we want that to pay off."
For continued news and coverage on the local sports scene, follow @MWelchSCN on Twitter.
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