Lady Eagles Battle Crusaders Down To The Wire In Opener

The Lady Eagles (0-1) lost grip of victory in the final moments of their season opener on Tuesday, Nov. 26. 

Sullivan trailed 8-4 after the first quarter but eventually found their rhythm and tied St. Dominic twelve apiece at halftime. They continued to keep the Lady Crusaders on their toes but came up short 31-28 at home.

St. Dominic was first to hit the board, tipping off the nail-biter with two free throws and a layup.

Molly Lohden then sank a three-pointer to break Sullivan’s drought. Cora Shetley followed with a swish from the charity stripe.

Both defenses continued to battle, but the Lady Crusaders came out ahead 8-4 at the bottom of the first quarter.

St. Dominic continued their momentum with two more scores while Sullivan struggled to make a bucket. 

After head coach Jordan Flora called a timeout, the Lady Eagles began to rebound.

Karlee Head got her team back in the net with a layup, and Avery Merkel cashed in a free throw. Ella Kirk then sank a three and drove through the paint to tie it 12-12 before halftime.

Sullivan tipped off the third quarter back on top. Ava Hayes drained a jumper for the 14-12 lead. 

St. Dominic continued to catch up, but the Lady Eagles refused to back down. Shetley seized the opportunity to swish two baskets from the charity stripe.

The Lady Crusaders also began to take advantage of the referee’s whistle. They rallied with three free throws and regained the upper hand at 17-16.

Sydney Montee came to the rescue with a three-pointer from downtown. Kirk also buried a free throw to put Sullivan back ahead.

Despite their efforts, St. Dominic crusaded down the court for a go-ahead jumper before the buzzer went off.

The Lady Eagles trailed 21-20 heading into the fourth quarter. Head returned Sullivan to the board with the game-tying free throw. She then put her team back on top with a finish to the rim and an and-one shot.

After St. Dominic snatched back the lead, the Lady Eagles soared ahead with four unanswered points. Olivia Barton drove through traffic into the lane for a layup. Head then dropped a dime, and Lohden banked in Sullivan’s final score.

With three minutes left, St. Dominic refused to throw in the towel. They effectively crashed the boards with a tight man-to-man defense. The Lady Crusaders also capitalized on Sullivan’s fouls, allowing them to take the upper hand.

While on the ropes, the Lady Eagles missed two free throws that could have forced overtime.

Despite falling 31-28, Sullivan continued to hang onto their heels and battled a Class 5 team down to the wire.

Sullivan continues their fight at the 9th Annual Fountain City Classic in De Soto from Dec. 2-7. They aim to finish high again after landing third place in 2023.

The Lady Eagles will cap off their road trip at Warrenton (Dec. 9) and Fox (Dec. 13).

Sullivan’s varsity squad will return home for their Peoples Bank Holiday Classic (Dec. 16-20).

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