Federal Hocking Lady Lancers complete the comeback in overtime win
By: Austin Yau
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STEWART, Ohio (WOUB) – The TVC-Hocking-leading Federal Hocking Lancers faced off against the TVC-Ohio-leading Athens Bulldogs. Despite trailing by six points with about three minutes left, the Lancers stormed back to force overtime. They played strong defense in overtime to win 46-41.
Both teams traded buckets to start the first quarter. Athens slowed down the Lancers in the end of the quarter and forced bad shots. The Bulldogs led 14-8 after the first quarter.
Federal Hocking started out the second quarter strong again, getting stops and scoring well. However, those efforts were stopped by Quinn Banks of Athens who was seemingly hitting every shot. Athens forced the Lancers into awkward shots and slowed them down for the end of another quarter. With this finish, the Bulldogs led 23-16 at halftime.
Athens continued to build their lead in the third quarter with Brystol Stump hitting some impossible-looking shots. However, Federal Hocking flipped the script, closing in on the Bulldogs in the second half of the quarter. They forced Athens to turn the ball over, allowing the Lancers to go on fast breaks and score. These efforts brought the game within two as the Bulldogs led 32-30.
The Lancers seized the lead to start the fourth quarter as McKayla Nelson knocked down a corner three to put Federal Hocking up 33-32. However, the Bulldogs would score seven straight to seize a 39-33 lead with around three minutes left. Yet the Lancers would get some clutch buckets and draw within two.
Then with a minute and 12 seconds left on the clock, Takira Walker would drive to the inside to score a bucket to tie the game at 39. Lex Koopal missed the game-winner for the Bulldogs as the game went to overtime, tied at 39.
Takira Walker would play the hero again in overtime, scoring the bucket to put the Lancers up two. Athens was forced to foul while down since they were unable to create natural offence. Takira Walker would convert her final two free throws to ice the game.
Free-throw conversions were not the only thing to help the Lancers in overtime. The defense would come in clutch, anchored by Juniper Ballew getting blocks and crucial rebounds.
Takira Walker had a phenomenal game for the Lancers, she scored a team-leading 14 total points while grabbing also team-leading seven rebounds and six assists and chipped in two steals on defense.
Federal Hocking Head Coach Amos Cottrill spoke on Walker’s impact “We made the adjustment to get Brenlee [Cottrill] off the ball and let Takira make plays … she’s very comfortable in that situation, and we trust her to make reads and make the right plays.”
Brenlee Cottrill scored seven points in the game putting her eight points away from the 1,000 career point mark as a junior.
The current first-place TVC-Hocking Lancers will face off against the second-place TVC-Hocking Eastern Eagles at home on Thursday. Cottrill will have the chance to reach 1,000 career points. Athens faces off against River Valley at home, also on Thursday.