Submitted story.
In a game that saw 15 lead changes, Elba needed one more they couldn't get, falling 58-55 to Andover-Whitesville in the Class D2 sectional finals Saturday night.
Andover-Whitesville's Vanessa Hall tallied a game-high 28 points, including six points in the last 39 seconds to seal the win for the Panthers.
Hall struggled in the first half shooting 4-for-15 from the floor for 10 points but turned it around in the second half on 8-of-16 field goals for 18 points. The senior made several tough inside shots, and a few nice interior passes to set up Panther teammates as well. Hall was named the Class D2 tournament MVP.
Sixth-seeded Elba (13-11) played tough throughout, grabbing an 11-10 lead after one quarter. Maddie Hall nailed a 3-pointer to get the scoring started for the Lancers, while freshman Lydia Ross and sophomore Sydney Reilly both scored four points in the opening stanza.
Reilly, who leads Elba with over 16 points per game, picked up her third foul just one minute into the second quarter. Elba would not relinquish the lead in her absence. Mariah Ognibene and Ross netted two-point baskets before Kennedy Augello got hot. The junior guard sandwiched an inside basket between two 3-pointers to give Elba the 23-21 edge at the half.
Elba's Hailie Scouten led the charge to start the third quarter. The junior forward swished a 3-pointer from the right wing to start the quarter and then 30 seconds later knocked a trey in off the board to give Elba its biggest lead of the game at 29-21. Scouten added one more basket later in the quarter and finished with nine points, 13 rebounds, three assists and five blocks.
Ross, who finished with a team-high 13 points and spear-headed the Lancers all night, added four points in the third quarter. Reilly, who came back in with 30 seconds left in the frame, and Hall added three and two points, respectively, in the quarter.
Andover-Whitesville's Hall paced her team with 10 points in the third quarter, and Graci Lewis-Ellison added five. Both teams scored 17 points resulting in a 40-38 Elba advantage after three.
The Panthers started the fourth quarter with six straight points to take a 44-40 lead. Then both Ross and Ognibene scored on putbacks for Elba to tie the game once again at 44-44 halfway through the final quarter. A free throw by Scouten gave the Lancers their final lead of the game with three minutes left.
Hall gave Andover-Whitesville the lead right back on the very next possession slicing into the lane for a tough inside bucket.
Ognibene would tie the game once more with her own free throw with 2:30 left, but Panthers senior Gabby Terhune netted a layup on a nice assist from Hall seconds later to put Andover-Whitesville up for good. Two Panther free throws and two more baskets from Hall put Elba down 54-49 with just 30 seconds remaining.
Reilly made an off-balance basket and was fouled on the Lancers' next possession. The following free throw made it 54-52 in favor of the Panthers. Foul shots from Hall, Terhune and Lewis-Ellison increased the lead to 58-52 with 11 seconds left in the game.
Augello swished one more three-pointer, her third of the night, as the buzzer sounded. She finished with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting.
Ognibene ended with five points and a game-high 16 rebounds for Elba, while Reilly ended with 10 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Ross, who was named to the all-tournament team, also had four rebounds, four assists and three steals to go with her 13 points for the Lancers.
Elba's Hall tallied five points, while junior Ava Chatt rounded out the Lancers scoring with two points.
Andover-Whitesville's Lewis-Ellison ended with eight points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Bledsoe finished with 10 points and six rebounds.
Reilly, Lewis-Ellison and Bledsoe were also named to the all-tournament team.
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
