Tuesday, Jan. 29 2013 2:48PM
Turning point
LSN takes fourth quarter to win over Tigers
By Stephanie Yeagle
syeagle@lsjournal.com
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ReprintLee’s Summit didn’t make it easy for Suburban Big Six Conference rival Lee’s Summit North.
But in the end, the Broncos battled it out and picked up a 47-40 victory.
“We just had to close out better and rebound the ball stronger,” Lee’s Summit North junior guard Erica Nelson said. “They were tipping balls away from us. We just had to execute what our game plan was.”
The first half was in favor of the Tigers as Lee’s Summit took a 10-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Broncos took over a lead in the second quarter with a basket and two free throws from junior forward Imani Johnson and two free throws from Nelson, but Lee’s Summit responded with a 12-0 run to take a 22-15 advantage.
Lee’s Summit North didn’t give up as Johnson hit a basket and a free throw and senior guard Tara Minx sunk a three-pointer to close the gap to 22-21. But Tiger sophomore guard Eriyonna Irvin hit a shot before the buzzer to put Lee’s Summit ahead at 24-21 at halftime.
Then in the third quarter, the Broncos tied things up right off the bat with a three-pointer from Nelson.
“We started off rough, but then we got it together,” Nelson said. “At halftime, we came back and coach called a good play for me to hit a three and we tied it up. They went on a little run and we went on a little run but then we maintained momentum.”
The Broncos had a 35-34 advantage going into the last eight minutes of play. But starting out the fourth quarter, Lee’s Summit North took a commanding 43-36 lead after a basket and four free throws from Johnson and a shot from Nelson. The Tigers responded with a shot from senior forward Abby Hinkle, but the Broncos came back with a basket by sophomore guard Taylor Creason.
Irvin sunk a basket and a free throw to close the gap to 45-39, but a basket from junior forward Jaden Powell for the Broncos made the score 47-39 with less than a minute left in the game.
“I thought rebounding offensively, we started to do that a little better in the third quarter and definitely better in the fourth and knocking free throws down,” Lee’s Summit North head coach Tricia Lillygren said. “We had 12-of-13 in the fourth and Imani was 10-of-10. If we missed those, it was still anybody’s game up and down the stretch. I think the spark was those offensive boards and second chances.”
The Broncos were led in scoring by Johnson with 20 points and Nelson with 12 points. Powell and Creason had six points each and Minx added three points.
Lee’s Summit was led by Hinkle with 14 points and Irvin with 11 points. Mo Mosier added 10 points, Regan Dodd had three points and Taylor Gilkey had two points.
“It’s pretty good to beat Lee’s Summit every time we play them,” Nelson said. “And them being a conference rival is a big thing, a big motivation to beat other teams around the metro.”
With the win, the Broncos move to 10-5 on the season.
“There are growing pains,” Lillygren said. “There are ups and downs in all the seasons. We have won some really big ones and we have dropped some that have been really close, especially lately. But I think we are on the upside.”
