By Chris McCarthy/Editor
The Glencoe High girls basketball team’s season ended in heartbreaking fashion in the Class 3A, Area 11 Tournament semifinals on Monday in Rainbow City.
Trailing Ohatchee by six points entering the fourth quarter, the Lady Yellow Jackets fought back to take a 40-39 lead on a pair of Breia Little free throws with 14 seconds left. It was the first lead for Glencoe since midway through the second quarter. Up to that point in the final period, the Lady Yellow Jackets held Ohatchee to only four points and two field goals.
But enough time was left on the clock for the Lady Indians to set up one last play, and Makenzie Hanks was left open at the top of the key. Her three-point attempt hit nothing but net, giving the visitors a 40-42 victory.
Glencoe inbounded with ball with six seconds left, but the Lady Yellow Jackets lost possession in the final seconds.
“Just to be in that game at the game shows the resiliency of our girls,” said Glencoe head coach Daniel Cook. “We had our opportunities but came up a little short. We had a little bit of a miscue of who was supposed to be covering [Hanks], but she hit the shot, so you’ve got to tip your hat to her.”
Little paced Glencoe with 10 points, followed by Anna Giles with nine and Lauren Moore with seven.
After shooting 1-for-4 at the foul line in the first half, the Lady Jackets went 9-for-11 in the second half and 8-for-9 over the final 46 seconds. Little went 4-for-5 at the charity stripe over the last 34 seconds to help Glencoe remain within striking distance.
“Breia has been doing that all year for us, and I didn’t expect anything less,” said Cook.
The Lady Indians carried an 8-7 lead into the second quarter, during which the Lady Jackets went ahead 14-12 on a Giles’ jump shot. But Kourtney Shuler’s three-pointer on the next possession sparked a 9-0 run that sent Ohatchee in the locker room with a 23-14 advantage.
Cheyenne McCarter’s basket at 3:06 of the third quarter put Glencoe at a 10-point disadvantage, but a 9-2 stretch helped pull the Lady Yellow Jackets within 32-26 after three quarters.
McCarter’s basket 29 seconds into the fourth frame made it an eight-point Ohatchee lead, but Glencoe gradually chipped away at the deficit and polished off a 14-5 run with Little‘s free throws at 19.7.
McCarter led Ohatchee with 11 points, followed by Hanks with 10.
“We has nothing but eighth, ninth and 10th graders playing tonight, and I think Ohatchee played nothing but juniors and seniors, so I’m very proud of these girls for fighting back and staying in the game,” said Cook. “Our girls worked hard and improved so much since the season started, so knock on wood, we have a lot to look forward to.”