MSGBB 2015-03-05 OHMS at NWMS

Nothing better than hot pizza right after a game!

Wow.  The only word that could be used to describe both the 7th and 8th grade varsity girls basketball games Thursday afternoon at NWMS as the Cougars played the OHMS Panthers.

The two teams met earlier in the season, on Feb 17th, with OHMS winning the 7th grade game 23-12 and NWMS coming from behind to win the 8th grade game 35-28.

Wednesday, the 7th grade game started out sluggishly, with both teams scoring only 4 points in the opening quarter.  The OHMS offense got warmed up in the 2nd, and led 13-6 at halftime.

After the break, it was the Cougar's turn to score, and they put up 13 points to close the gap to 22-19 at the end of the 3rd.

In the 4th, the Cougars closed to within a single point, but it in end it was OHMS sweeping their crosstown rival with a 29-27 victory.

For the Panthers, it was Leille Salinger leading the way with 19 points.  Halle Lemme scored 4, Mia Wyman 3, Willa Weinsheimer 2 and Haley Abbott 1.

On the Cougar side, Mikhaela Cortez scored 20, Mariah Boler 6 and Becca Blazich 1

126 photos from the 7th grade game are posted HERE.

The 8th grade game started out all North Whidbey, as the Cougs blazed to a 10-1 1st quarter lead, but the Panthers didn't falter and at halftime the game was 17-13 for NWMS.

In the 2nd half, NW built another 10-point lead and held on to a 25-16 lead to start the 4th period.

As they did in the 2nd quarter, OHMS did in the 4th, and they waited until late in the quarter to do it.  With just over 2 minutes left in the game, NWMS was holding on to a 27-22 lead, but with just 48 seconds left, OHMS had cut the lead to just 1 point, 27-26.  It didn't help that by now, both of of the Cougars' top scoring girls had fouled out of the game.

Then, with just 14 seconds left, NWMS was called for a technical foul for reaching across the line during a throw-in, and Miranda Wilson went to the line for two and sank one to tie the game.

As time expired in regulation, OHMS was unable to score again, so to overtime they went.

In the first OT period, the two teams traded free throws, and the 4-minute period ended 29-29.

For the 2nd OT, since it was well after 7pm, the referees and two coaches agreed on an untimed sudden death period.

NWMS won the tip, but OHMS gained control quickly, and less than 15 seconds into the 2nd OT, Samantha Olson scored from the top of the key to win the game 31-29.

It was an exciting finish to a great game.

Wilson led the Panther team with 15 points and Olson finished with 8.  Emily Petty scored 4, and Danielle Lonborg and Emily Gough each scored 2.

The Cougars' leading scorer was Kynzer Hernandez with 21.  Taylyn Boop finished with 4, Mackinzee Street 2 and Kaitlinn Scheer and Brenna Rothman scored 1 each.

151 photos from the 8th grade game are posted HERE.



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