The Morrison Lady Eagles tried every possible way to soar away with a win versus the Eastside Lady Bulldogs on Monday evening. It was not meant to be and the Lady Bulldog offense broke loose in the fourth quarter and claimed the lead in the final two minutes.
A 12-point fourth quarter for Eastside gave the Lady Bulldogs a 30-28 win. Lady Bulldog Shelby Smartt led all scorers and dropped in a game-high 17 points.
With less than 10 seconds on the clock, the Eagles would attempt a final shot to tie the game. The ball was inbounded to Lia Wright and she took a single dribble toward the goal and fired a shot. The ball hit the backboard and rolled around the rim and dropped off the front edge of the iron. The air was sucked out of the building and the crowd sighed.
The ball went out of bounds with less than a second to play and Morrison would only have enough time to throw the ball in. The buzzer sounded before a shot attempt could be made and the Lady Eagles were defeated at home 30-28.
Turnovers plagued the Lady Eagles in the fourth quarter and eventually led to their demise. Morrison had trouble getting the ball inbounded and once was called for a 10-second violation. Bad passes were picked up by the Lady Bulldog offense at midcourt and Eastside immediately attacked the glass.
The fourth quarter started with the Lady Eagles in control and Morrison led by four points. Relentless pursuit of the ball by the Eastside defense played a huge role in the come-from-behind win.
Smartt led the fourth-quarter comeback with six points and Sarah Grace Vinson helped the Lady Bulldogs with four points down the stretch.
The Lady Eagle offense went on hiatus in the final quarter. Morrison dropped in a single basket in the final period but added four free throws. Gabby Monzon and Wright were all the offense for Morrison in the fourth.
The third quarter started with Eastside out front by a single point. Morrison came out firing and the Lady Eagle dominated the period and outscored Eastside 11-6. Morrison had four players score in the third. Lexie Whipple and Marcie Pope each had four points in the most productive quarter for the Lady Eagles.
The first half was very close and neither team could gain an advantage over the other. If one team pushed the tempo, the other responded. Smartt started the game hot and she scored all seven of Eastside’s first-quarter points.
Lady Bulldog scoring – Shelby Smartt 17, Sarah Grace Vinson 9, Savannah Winfree 2, Sable Winfree 2.
Lady Eagle scoring – Gabby Monzon 10, Marcie Pope 6, Lexi Whipple 5, Lia Wright 5, Kailee Whitlock 2.