When you score 40-some points per game, there are some things you cannot do and still expect to win basketball games.
They are the kind of things the Tyrone Lady Eagles have done fairly well this season, mostly because they are the parts of the game that require effort: defending the basketball, giving help in man-to-man defense, boxing out, rebounding.
In imbalance in anyone of those areas can be fatal when your offensive production lags like Tyrone\’s has this season, and in last night\’s 42-41 overtime loss to Richland in the championship game of the Kovacik Holiday Tournament at Blairsville High School, the Lady Eagles were dominated on the boards by a margin greater than 2 to 1.
The final rebound tally had the Lady Rams ahead 38-17, but it was in the second half when Richland\’s control of the glass was most obvious and most devastating. Then, Richland commanded play under the hoop with a 26-4 edge in rebounds that actually makes Tyrone\’s ability to send the game to an extra frame somewhat of an accomplishment.
“The game was lost on the offensive glass,” said Tyrone coach Jim Swaney, whose team fell to 4-6. “They rebounded the ball, and we didn\’t. They were getting four or five shots. You have to block out and you have to rebound – just play fundamental basketball.”
Richland\’s work inside was part of the reason 5-foot-11 post Heather Klinar scored 19 of her game-high 21 points in the second half. While it was apparent getting her the ball in the post was a major focus of the Lady Rams\’ halftime adjustments, most of her baskets came on second and third-shot opportunities.
The Lady Eagles also suffered from a serious offensive funk in the third and fourth quarters, when the Lady Rams battled back from a 24-12 halftime deficit. Tyrone scored only 11 points in that time, hitting a mere four shots form the floor.
“Our margin of error is so small that when we allow a team to get on the offensive glass like that, that\’s enough to beat us,” Swaney said. “We don\’t have that offensive punch to really put someone away.\”
The Lady Eagles lack of punch offensively was never more apparent than the waning moments of regulation and overtime. Richland led 35-33 with 1:43 left in the game when sophomore Lindsay Christine made a jumper from the corner to tie the game late in regulation. After Leah Gontkovic missed a shot to give Tyrone possession with under a minute remaining, the Lady Eagles ran the clock down to 10 seconds before calling a timeout.
On the ensuing sideline inbounds, Tyrone turned the ball over at half court against Richland\’s man-to-man pressure, and made it into overtime only after Samantha Devett missed a layup, which was rebounded by Marissa Hoover.
In overtime, Tyrone never strung together points on consecutive possessions and was out of sync when it needed points most. Richland led 39-38 and was milking the clock when it turned the ball over with 1:05 to play. When the Lady Eagles set their offense, the result was a loose ball and scramble on the floor, which ended in a jump ball to the Lady Rams.
With 35 seconds left, Richland missed a shot, setting up a runner in the lane by Emily McKenna with 15 seconds left. The ball rattled in and out, the Lady Rams made 3 of 4 foul shots, and a McKenna three-pointer at the buzzer cut the lead to one too late.
“I didn\’t like that they came out a little harder than we did in the third quarter,” said Swaney. “Later, we matched that intensity, but our kids have to understand that with a 12-point lead, the next four minutes of the game are the most important in the ball game. If you can get out on an 8-0 run at that point, it\’s probably over.”
McKenna led Tyrone with 18 points, including five three-pointers. Emily Lloyd scored six and Tepsic added five.
Tiffany Bradford led Tyrone on the boards with eight rebounds before leaving the game with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter.
Richland 42 Tyrone 41, OT
Richland – Paviovich 3 3-4 9; Klinar 7 7-10 21; Devett 2 1-2 5; Sease 1 3-8 5; Hrescak 1 0-0 2; Neff 0 0-0 0; Baumgardener 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 14 14-24 42
Turone – McKenna 5 3-6 18; Bradford 1 1-2 4; Hoover 1 2-4 4; Lloyd 2 2-2 6; Ingle 0 2-2 2; Tepsic 1 3-4 5; Turiano 0 0-0 0; Christine 1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 11 13-20 41
Score by Quarters
RICHLAND 6 6 13 10 7 – 42
TYRONE 14 10 6 5 6 – 41
Three-point goals: Tyrone 6 (McKenna 5, Bradford)
