Lady Warriors are streak busters
Okarche outlasts Lomega in OT to put end to 56-game run
OKARCHE’S Emma Stover (11) works in the post against Lomega’s Sydni Walker while Shelby Russell (12) offers some help. Stover had 24 points and 16 rebounds in Okarche’s win. [Photo by Chris Simon/www.simon-sports-photos.smugmug.com]
It had been nearly two full years on the calendar since Lomega had lost a girls basketball contest.
A win streak of 56 games - which included two state championships in its midst - came to a halt last Friday when rival Okarche upended the Lady Raiders 66-61 in overtime on their home court.
“The girls were extremely excited,” Okarche coach Haley Mitchel said after her team moved to 3-0 on the season.
“It was their mission this week to end the winning streak.”
Lomega last lost Nov. 19, 2019, when Calumet beat an injury-riddle Lady Raider squad.
That loss dropped Lomega to 3-2 on the season before it rattled off 27 straight wins and won the Class B crown.
The Lady Raiders then went through last season unscathed (27-0) and won its first two contests this season.
However, they fell behind early against Okarche, which led 20-12 after a quarter and pushed it to 30-14 in the second.
“They were playing a lot harder than us in the first half,” Lomega coach Kevin Lewallen said.
That’s when Hensley Eaton came alive for the Lady Raiders.
She scored 10 second-quarter points as Lomega cut its deficit to seven points.
The senior added eight more in the third quarter as her team not only erased its deficit, but took a 41-39 lead.
It had the potential to be more, but Lomega was just 3 of 12 from the foul line in the third.
The Lady Raiders were just 8 of 25 for the game.
“That played a huge role,” Lewallen said.
That contributed to Okarche climbing back into it.
Sophie Vandendriessche scored seven and Emma Stover eight in the fourth quarter as the game was sent into overtime.
Once there, Okarche outscored Lomega 7-2.
Outside of free throw shooting - Okarche was 13 of 20 from the stripe - rebounding also played a big role.
“Their ability to get offensive rebounds really hurt us, too,” Lewallen said.
Stover dominated the paint with 24 points and 16 rebounds. She had five on the offensive end.
“Her double-double was huge for us down the stretch,” Mitchel said.
Tyson Endres came off the bench and added 14 rebounds - five offensive - to her six points.
“She delivered when we really needed her to,” Mitchel said.
Jadyn Rother scored 12 points and “handled the ball well for us and played great defense,” Mitchel said. Rother added four steals and also took two charges.
Jalie Rother, who had a big 3-pointer in overtime and three for the game, scored 11 for Okarche.
Lomega got 21 points from Darcy Roberts. She scored 13 of those in the second half and overtime.
Eaton scored 20 while Abby Swart added 12.
For Okarche, Mitchel said, it was more than just a huge win against a rival.
The ebb and flow of the game also will help her team down the stretch, she said.“It was good to see them have the lead, lose the lead, and then battle back to finish with the win,” she said.
The momentum didn’t slow on Saturday.
Okarche returned home to defeat Turner 64-38 to move to 4-0.
Up by eight at the half, Okarche outscored its guests 27-5 in the third quarter.
Adyson Arms spurred the run.
She nailed three 3-pointers and scored 17 of her game-high 21 points in the quarter.
Okarche also got 10 points from Jadyn Rother and nine from Jalie Rother.