MICDS Stuns Sullivan At Buzzer

ordyn Brooks’ buzzer-beating shot lifted MICDS to an improbable 70-68 double overtime win over Sullivan Tuesday in a Class 4 sectional at Kirkwood High School.

Brooks rescued the Rams with a runner near the buzzer in the first overtime.

Sullivan (23-5) was unable to put MICDS away after building up an 11-point lead in the third quarter. MICDS used a press defense to throw Sullivan off its game in the final overtime. Lady Eagles head coach Jason Merkel said the team just didn't finish.

"We never had a problem all season with the press," he said. "It was just one of those things where teams haven't pressed us and we've done a good job with it."

Merkel stressed to his team that if they were pressed, they couldn't get the ball stuck in the corner.

"There were three times I can remember where the wrong person took it out," he said, wishing the team had "10 timeouts" to run through all the situations.

Clare Shetley led Sullivan with 18 points and she fouled out in overtime. Katie Creek finished with 17 points and was hot beyond the arc, knocking down five 3-pointers. Bria Jones added 15 points and Mallory Shetley scored 14. Kya Harbour had four.

After stroking six 3-pointers and leading 20-15 in the first quarter, MICDS retreated and looked frazzled over the next two periods.

Sullivan charged ahead in the second quarter with a 14-0 run fueled by three 3-pointers from Creek and one from Jones.

MICDS rolled Sullivan when the teams met on Jan. 30 and Tuesday’s game initially seemed like a carryover.

It took Merkel 76 seconds to call a timeout and regroup his team after MICDS swished a pair of 3’s on their first two possessions.

"When we called that timeout in the first quarter we said, 'this isn't going to happen a second year in a row,'" Merkel said.

Sullivan picked up the pace offensively, though MICDS still had a hot hand. After Jones tied the game 10-all when she grabbed a loose rebound and hoisted a 3 with 4:08 left in the first quarter, the Rams came back down and regained the lead on a trey. MICDS used dribble drive to set up open shots beyond the arc. Jessica Brooks’ kickout to Jordyn Brooks on the wing with 1:55 left opened up a 16-`0 lead. Jones answered on the next possession and with 40 seconds left, Clare Shetley’s runner brought Sullivan within two, 17-15. Lindsay Parks’ 3 with 13 seconds remaining gave the Rams a 20-15 advantage.

Creek’s 3-point shooting brought Sullivan back. She connected on treys on Sullivan’s first two trips of the second period. Mallory Shetley then batted away an entry pass, causing a MICDS turnover. Sullivan came back down and Clare Shetley kicked the ball out to Creek on the wing for another 3, giving Sullivan a 24-20 lead. MICDS called a timeout, but five straight points from Jones left the Rams trailing 29-20.

Jordyn Brooks and Landys Hughes brought MICDS back to a two-possession game with two minutes left, but Sullivan answered on their final trips. Mallory Shetley drove to the hoop with 1:41 left and then kicked out to find Creek for a 3-pointer with 36 seconds and a 34-25 lead at the half.

Clare Shetley put Sullivan up 42-31 with 2:38 to go in the third quarter on a basket inside as MICDS struggled to contain her.

Parks answered on the next trip down with a 3 and Kayla Work had a putback with under a minute left to cut Sullivan's lead down to 42-36. Mallory Shetley again drove into the MICDS defense and finished inside, scoring at the buzzer for a 44-36 lead.

The teams went back and forth in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. MICDS tried to press Sullivan and Clare Shetley heaved a long pass down the court to Harbour. Harbour dribbled in for an open layup to give Sullivan a 48-41 lead.

The moment where Merkel felt the game was slipping away happened midway through the period. Work heaved up a long, off-balance 3-pointer to bring MICDS within two, 48-46.

"When (Work) buried that 3 five feet behind the line I thought, 'here we go,'" Merkel said. "When she hit that shot, I thought we're in trouble. We got the shot we wanted them to take. I just remember at that point sitting next to (assistant coach) Bill (Kackley) and telling him we're in trouble."

Sullivan kept hold on the lead until Parks tossed up the game-tying 3-pointer with 38 seconds left. The Lady Eagles would get a chance to go back on top but Parks was able to draw a charge on Jones. MICDS then had an opportunity to go ahead, but Parks' pass to Jessica Brooks was broken up by Sullivan, which took over with 2.8 seconds left.

The game came inches away from ending when Mallory Shetley threw up an inbounds pass to Jones, who swatted the ball to Clare Shetley. Clare Shetley had a contested shot at the rim, but it rolled off at the buzzer.

Sullivan nearly put the game away again late in the first overtime. Up 60-58, Jones was twice sent to the line, but unable to convert. Jordyn Brooks tied the game with seven seconds to force a second overtime.

Mallory Shetley put the Lady Eagles on top with a near three-point play, only to have MICDS tie the game with a pair of free throws. Mallory Shetley scored the next four points to give Sullivan a 66-62 lead with 1:31 left. Parks tied the game on free throws.

MICDS then took the lead on the ensuing inbound with a steal by Jordyn Brooks and a layup. Sullivan turned the ball over on the next possession, but the Rams gave it right back when Parks and Hughes collided at half-court on an inbound.

Harbour tied the game with 19 seconds left when she was fouled on a putback attempt. MICDS went down and Jordyn Brooks' spin and layup gave the Rams the win.

Sullivan Independent News

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