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A real thriller
Osborne’s Brown hits 2 late free throws to edge Dalton
It was an outcome Dalton’s Lady Catamounts were all to familiar with.
On Friday night at the Cats’ Den, Dalton was leading Osborne most of the game but let the lead slip away with less than 10 seconds left, which is exactly what happened when the two teams played last season.
This time, Flo Brown of the Lady Cardinals calmly hit two free throws with 2.6 seconds remaining to give Osborne a 52-51 victory in a Region 7-4A contest.
Dalton’s boys soundly beat Osborne, 75-54, in a late-starting game.
Last season in Marietta, the Lady Cardinals (5-1, 2-1) beat the Lady Cats (4-2, 2-1) on a last-second shot after Kate Houston had given Dalton the lead with a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left.
Friday, Dalton took the lead when junior guard Amanda Rector, who scored a game-high 21 points, hit a floater just inside the free throw line with 10.5 seconds left to tie the score at 50. Rector was fouled on the play and hit her free throw and gave the Lady Cats the lead.
On the other end, Dalton’s defense forced an errant Lady Cardinals shot, Brown got the offensive rebound and was fouled on the play. She made both free throws for the win.
Though Lady Cats coach Jeff McKinney felt the foul call on Brown was questionable, he didn’t think that cost Dalton the game. Instead, he pointed to Dalton’s inability to sustain a first-half lead of 10 points and a late third-quarter lead of seven that enabled Osborne to stay within striking distance.
“We put ourselves in a situation to win,” McKinney said. “They got a shot off, we did a pretty good job blocking out. (Brown) got the rebound, she shoots a fadeaway and then gets two free throws. Most of the time you don’t see that called, but it’s part of the ballgame.
“But that one play wasn’t the game. We had a six-point lead and we didn’t execute on offense and several times we went dry, especially toward the end of the first half and the first part of the fourth quarter.
“If you don’t have those dry spells, then you maintain a six- to eight-point lead. We didn’t play well enough to win it.”
Osborne first-year coach Mike Marchese, who came from Campbell to take over for Lisa Williams, said it was his team’s relentless effort that kept the Lady Cardinals in the game.
“The girls are just fighting every day in practice and in every game,” Marchese said.
“They have a lot of heart and it’s coming along. It’s a new coach and a new team, so we’re getting better each game.”
Markisha Washington scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Dalton, but fouled out with less than six minutes remaining in the game. Ashlee Allen led Osborne with 18 points and four steals, Shay Jackson pulled down 10 rebounds and Brown finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and two steals.
• Dalton boys 75, Osborne 54: Kelly Phillips led the Catamounts (2-1, 2-1) with 20 points and also added eight points and eight assists.
Tre Beck finished with 16 points and seven assists, Watts Dantzler had 16 points and eight boards and Shaquon Moore contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.
“Defensively, we came out very well,” Cats coach Mike Duffie said. “We kept them from getting transition baskets, stopped their dribble penetration and gave them no second shots.”
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A keen work ethic
Misty Watson/ The Daily Citizen
This is Kolby Keener’s school year — athletically speaking — at Murray County High School: It’s softball in August, but before that season is barely cold in the books, it’s time for basketball. After the hardwood season concludes, it’s off to travel softball, which ends for her in late May.
Continued ...
Then, it’s time for a summer break.
Oh, wait. There’s no time for relaxation.
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