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Go-Ahead Basket Helps Martins Ferry Ward Off Maroon Knights In Finale

By NICK HENTHORN 5 min read

MARTINS FERRY - Through one half of basketball, the Martins Ferry Purple Riders held a near-double-digit advantage over the visiting Wheeling Central Maroon Knights, 34-25. Dominating on the offensive glass and generating plenty of turnovers with a full-court press, it seemed like the Riders had the winning formula for a smooth second half.

The path to victory for them inside Tolbert Gymnasium, however, turned out to be a bumpy ride.

In the final game of the regular season for either team, a go-ahead lay-in from Lindsey Best with five second left turned out to be the difference in a 67-65 victory for Ferry.

"I'm glad you won, you're always happy if you win," We didn't play particularly well, we didn't shoot the ball particularly well and we didn't guard their stud, Blake, particularly well. She played a great game. But we won, 17-5, undefeated at home, OVAC champs, playing a lot of freshmen, I'm pretty happy with our regular season."

Ferry led 19-11 after the first quarter, and were in the lead throughout the first half because of those extra possessions afforded from turnovers and offensive rebounds. Martins Ferry had nine offensive rebounds in the first half alone.

"That's a good and bad thing, when you're dominating on the offensive glass, it means we were missing a lot of shots," Reasbeck said. "We usually shoot the ball a little bit better than we did here at home.

"But I told the girls, that's all about effort. We brought the effort- in the fourth quarter, a couple of us didn't bring it all that much, and [Blake] and [Severns], they got a ton. But Central played well, they played hard, they fought back. That was a good high school basketball game."

At the start of the second half, Wheeling Central made a two-pronged push to get back into the game. The Maroon Knights seemed more alert against the Purple Riders press- and the Riders also picked their spots to press in the second half, whereas in the first it was nearly every possession- and cut down their turnovers.

Central also found more success forcing the ball inside against Ferry. Central was attempting tough passes to feed the likes of Kaitlyn Blake and Haley Severns inside, and while a successful exchange often yielded good looks point-blank, Central guards had to work their passes by one or two Purple Riders defenders to get to them to their mark.

Forcing the issue came up in Wheeling Central's favor in the second half though, with Blake scoring 20 points in the second half alone, and Severns scoring 12.

"I thought our second half effort was tremendous," Wheeling Central head coach Roberta Olejasz said. "They all played their hearts out in the second half. Defensively, all of our girls were very good in the second half, they rebounded the ball in the second half.

"They fought really hard to get back in it. It looked like it was slipping away there in the first half and then they battled really hard to get back in it. We just gave up a layup there at the very end."

The Knights got within three at one point in the third quarter, but Ferry went into the fourth ahead by seven, 49-42, ending the quarter with a Lindse Sidon fastbreak layup.

Wheeling Central kept the momentum rolling into the fourth though, coming within one, 55-54, before the late-game drama called for big play after big play over the final 3:30.

Sidon nailed a 3-pointer to put Purple ahead 58-54, but Blake converted an offensive putback the next possession to keep Maroon within two, 58-56.

Wheeling Central got their first lead on an inside shot by Severns, 60-59 with 1:45 to go.

Tied 62-62 with 20 seconds to go, Giana Chirpas nailed a 3-pointer from the wing to give Ferry a 65-62 lead, but a quick inbounds and advance by the Knights had the ball in Kaitlyn Blake's hands before the Riders defense could set. Blake lifted up for a shot inside and powered it through contact for an and-one. One free throw later and the game was tied 65-65 with 17 seconds to play.

"That 3-point shot was huge, then we come back and hit that and-one by Kaitlyn Blake," Olejasz said of the final sequence. "Kaitlyn Blake played really well, Haley Severns played really well. Bella Fitzsimmons, Addie Payton, Mariah, everyone played really well in the second half."

"It was wild," Reasbeck said.

Coming out of a timeout, Best found herself the recipient of a drive-and-dump and lofted up a lay-in for the lead. With five seconds to play, it was Wheeling Central's turn to call a timeout, but needing to advance the length of the floor, a pass to halfcourt was deflected, Martins Ferry regained possession, and time ran out on Monday's regular season finale.

For Ferry, Sidon scored 19, Best scored 18, and Chirpas scored nine. The three also combined for 11 steals.

"That's what the four girls are supposed to do. We struggled shooting, but Chirpas, Best, [Danielle Lude] and Sidon, they've played so many games and that's what you're supposed to do. When your team needs you, you're supposed to make a play. The four of them did, that's why we won."

For Central, Blake finished with 33 points, while Severns scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Both teams will now eye the postseason with their regular season slate wrapped up.

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