Sports
N-Y Falls with Lynchburg-Clay Comeback
By: Will Price
Posted on:
The Nelsonville-York Lady Buckeyes battled and battled. They dazzled defensively and benefited from big time shot making, giving them a double digit lead in the second half.
Peyton Scott just refused to let Lynchburg-Clay lose.
Scott had 32 points, including the go ahead bucket in the final minute to put the two seed Lady Mustangs ahead for good on their way to a 46-38 victory over N-Y.
Both teams struggled early on, with N-Y unable to make its first field goal until after the midway point of the opening period. Both teams played tight defense and forced low percentage shots throughout the first two quarters, but a buzzer-beating three from Mary-Kate McCulloch put the Lady Buckeyes up 19-14 to end the first half.
N-Y came out hot to start the second half, scoring the first seven points to stretch the lead to 12. They were led offensively by McCulloch, who had 11 points and seven rebounds. MacKenzie Hurd added 10 points as both teams traded baskets with Scott for much of the third quarter, ending with a 34-26 Nelsonville-York lead after three.
The final quarter was hard fought, but the defensive pressure from Lynchburg-Clay was too much for the Lady Buckeyes to handle. The Lady Mustangs, capitalized off of turnovers and got the crowd back into it. They rallied to take a 36-35 lead, their first of the second half, with about three minutes to go.
The Lady Buckeyes didn’t go away, as McCulloch banked in a three to tie the game with 90 seconds to go. Scott got a friendly roll on a jumper and added six subsequent free throws to ice the game and advance the Lady Mustangs to the next round.
N-Y head coach Bobby Cassady praised his team for their effort and their season following the game.
“I thought our girls fought hard, individually and as a team,” Cassady said. “I’m proud of their effort.”
The Lady Buckeyes end their season with a loss in the district semifinals and a record of 14-11. Looking into next season, they return four of their five starters from this season, losing McCulloch. Cassady praised her abilities as a leader following the game.
“I can’t even use words to describe what Mary-Kate did,” Cassady said. “Not only for this team but going forward. She established a culture I’m proud of.”