Cold shooting 2nd half dashes Dover’s hopes in Class B semis
LOOKEBA-SICKLES’ Ellie Willard (15) tries to chase down Dover’s Karlee Harviston (10) during their semifinal clash. [Photo by Russell Stitt/www.stitt.smugmug.com]
Sometimes history can be derailed by the simplest of things.
For Dover, it was the ball finding its way to the bottom of the net.
The top-ranked Lady Longhorns saw their best season in nearly two decades come to a halt Friday with a 51-36 loss to Lookeba- Sickles in the Class B girls state semifinals.
Up 29-27 at the half, Dover made just three field goals and scored seven points over the final 16 minutes.
After shooting 45 percent from the floor in a first half that was - at times scoring at a blistering pace, Dover went 3 of 20 (15 percent) in the second half.
As a result, the Lady Panthers pulled away in the fourth quarter to advance to the championship.
“I just wish I could have created something for us to get going,” said Matt Peck after his team finished the year with a 28-3 record.
“Something to get easy shots or get to the free throw line to take the lid off the basket and see the ball go in.”
It went in with frequency in the first half, especially the first quarter when the teams traded buckets and leads.
Katelyn Harviston scored with five seconds left in the quarter to give the top-ranked Lady Longhorns a 19-17 lead.
Karlee Harviston had seven points in the first quarter and scored early in the second.
Though the pace slowed considerablyforbothteams, Dover still got 3-pointers from Katelyn Harviston and Ashley Gamez to stake a 29-27 lead at the break.
Karlee Harviston put Dover up 33-31 with a bucket with 4:59 left in the third quarter.
That’s when the lid attached itself to Dover’s rim.
The Lady Longhorns went the next 11:16 without a field goal.
The only relief was a lone free throw by Kylee Bell.
During that stretch, Lookeba-Sickles turned its two-point deficit into a 4434 lead.
Rylee Buck ended the drought with 1:43 to play, but it was only temporary relief.
Dover didn’t score again as the Lady Panthers closed the game with seven consecutive free throws.
Lookeba-Sickles shot 63.6 percent (7 of 11) in the second half and was 52 percent for the game. The Lady Panthers were also 9 of 11 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.
Ellie Willard led the team with 14 points while Brylie Stocking scored 12.
Katelyn Harviston paced Dover with 13 points and six rebounds.
Karlee Harviston scored nine.
Dover also got six points from Bell, five from Buck and three from Gamez.
The Harvistons played the final games of their Dover careers.
They led Dover’s return to prominence as the program hadn’t reached state since 2007.
Peck said he hopes current and future Lady Longhorns follow their lead.
“It was a great season,” he said. “I really hope the younger student-athletes want to work hard and get better so they can have the best opportunity to make it to the Big House.”