JV Girls Cap Off Season On A High Note

The junior varsity Lady Eagles capped off their season with a bang on Thursday, Feb. 27. They held off Washington’s late rally and survived with a 45-39 win.

Head coach Aley Lucas wanted Sullivan to set the tone against the Lady Blue Jays early. She wanted them to put “lots of pressure” in their trap and “really push the ball and get out in transition.”

Both teams were neck-and-neck from the tip-off in the barnburner.

After Washington stole a 3-2 lead, Sydney Montee put Sullivan back in front with a three. The Lady Blue Jays tied up the score again, but Tessa Newman came to the rescue on a layup-and-one. Klare Harbour then sank a shot from downtown, pushing Sullivan ahead 12-7.

Washington rallied back to the top in the second quarter. They heavily pressured Sullivan on both ends of the floor, cutting off passes for scores.

The Lady Eagles entered the locker room with their backs against the wall. Trailing 15-14 at the half, Lucas dialed up a game plan to dismantle Washington. After the game, she explained it as “locking down on defense and looking for a help side and trying to get passing lanes with our press. We were really looking to take away the middle and really trap the ball.”

The Lady Eagles returned to the court with more fire and perfectly executed Lucas’s strategy.

Newman recaptured Sullivan’s lead with a three-point dagger to the net. Her score led the Lady Eagles to a 9-0 run in the third quarter.

Washington then surprised Sullivan with a comeback at the end of the period. They scored seven points in two minutes, trimming their deficit to three.

The Lady Eagles found their spark again in the fourth. Newman and Riley Rulo came in clutch with putback baskets. Ella Blanton also drained a three, and Harbour scored on a fast-break steal.

Sullivan led 42-30 into the final minutes, but Washington remained alive in the fight. The Lady Blue Jays climbed back onto the board with nine unanswered points.

With 1.8 seconds left, Harbour silenced Washington’s rally by swishing a free throw. After she missed her second attempt, Rulo rebounded it for a bucket that would serve as the knockout punch.

Lucas praised Rulo for her off-the-charts performance against Washington. Her coach said, “We had a lot of people step up in this game, but Riley Rulo really took it to the rim. She had a lot of good dishes. She’s a great driver [and] point guard for us.” The 5’3 freshman led the Lady Eagles with 18 points. 

Newman and Harbour shot nothing but net with eight points.

Blanton dropped five points, while Eden Lambert and Montee knocked in three. 

Lucas could not have been prouder of each of her players. She was sad to see the season end but glad her team finished it on a high note. The coach shared, “All thirteen that [came] out and played for me—it’s been a joy to have them. I really love all of them, and they play hard every single day. That’s all I can ask for as a coach.”