FILLIES RALLY PAST LADY WOLVERINES, 41-40

The Olton Fillies’ varsity basketball team won a thriller in regulation on Tuesday at home over the Springlake-Earth Lady Wolverines, 41-40.

With 5:26 remaining in the opening-quarter, Springlake-Earth junior, Halee Toscano, was fouled on an attempt by Olton senior, Shaylee Leathers. She converted one of two shots at the line to put the Lady Wolverines in front, 1-0. Olton’s Olivia Cox quickly answered with a lay-up for the Fillies to put them in front, 2-1.

Olton took a time out with 3:17 left to play in the opening quarter, and out of the break, senior, Sayler Beerwinkle dropped in a lay-up for Springlake-Earth to put them back in front, 3-2. Toscano followed it up with a jumper from the right wing, but Olton junior, MaKenly Smith had the answer, as she buried a three from the left elbow to tie the game, 5-5.

Springlake-Earth sophomore, Taytum Goodman, drained a three of her own from the left elbow to put her team back in front, 8-5, but with just over one minute remaining in the quarter, Kylee Noack dropped in a lay-up to cut the lead to one point, 8-7. Toscano, though, would drop in a lay-up off of the assist from Beerwinkle to put the Lady Wolverines in front, 10-7, as the first quarter came to a close.

Beerwinkle opened up the second quarter with a lay-up off of the assist from Sydney Furr, but Smith answered on the other end with a lay-up, off of the assist from Cox to make the score, 12-9, with 6:15 remaining in the first half. Smith scored a put-back off of a miss by Emma Acker to cut the lead to one point, 12-11. With 5:16 remaining in the half, Furr knocked down a short jumper from the right wing off of the assist from Beerwinkle, pushing their lead back out to, 14-11.

Smith was fouled on an attempt by Jasmine Garcia; she converted one-of-two shots at the line to make it a one-possession game, 14-12. Jaclyn Alcala knocked down a jumper from the right elbow off of the assist from Cox to tie the game, 14-14, but on the other end, Toscano was fouled on an attempt by Alcala and sank both free throws to put the Lady Wolverines back in front, 16-14, with 2:25 left to play in the half.

With under two minutes to play in the half, Toscano was fouled again on a put-back attempt by Cox. She converted both free throws to stretch their lead to four points, 18-14. Goodman dropped in a scoop lay-up with under one minute to play, but Aspen Struve answered, banking in a jumper from the right elbow to make the score, 20-16. However, with time winding down in the half, Garcia drained a deep two-pointer from the right elbow to make the score, 22-16, going into the locker room at halftime.

Emma Samaron opened the third quarter with a lay-up off of an assist from Goodman, but Smith answered for Olton with a lay-up to make the score, 24-18. Furr dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from Toscano, but Noack fired back with a three from the top of the key, off of the assist from Acker to cut the lead to, 26-21, with 5:48 remaining in the third.

Cox went coast-to-coast for a lay-up, but on the other end, Toscano was fouled on an attempt by Noack, earning a trip to the line. She split the free throws, stretching the lead to, 27-23. Cox was fouled on an attempt by Samaron with 4:30 remaining in the quarter. She sank both free throws to make it a one-possession game, 27-25, and Leathers followed it up with a three from the left wing to give Olton the lead, 28-27, with 4:10 left to play in the quarter.

Cox dropped in a fast-break layup, but Beerwinkle answered with a lay-up on the right side, off of the assist from Goodman, to make the score, 30-29, with 2:12 left to play in the quarter. Cox drove to the basket for a lay-up, but with time winding down in the quarter, Goodman scored for the Lady Wolverines to cut the Olton lead to one point, 32-31, heading into the final quarter of play.

Beerwinkle opened the fourth quarter with a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Smith. She missed the free throw leaving the Lady Wolverines in front, 33-32. Cox drove to the basket and kicked the ball out to Acker, who buried a three from the left wing to put the Fillies back on top, 35-33, as the Lady Wolverines took a time out to talk things over with six minutes left to play in the game.

Out of the break, Beerwinkle dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from Furr to tie the game and she followed it up with another lay-up, this time off of the assist from Toscano to put them back in front, 37-35, as Olton took a time out with 4:20 remaining.

Out of the break, Leathers drained a three from the left wing, off of the assist from Noack to put them back in front by one point, 38-37. With 2:25 left to play, Smith buried a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Leathers to make it a four-point Olton leda, 41-37. Cox took a charge on Beerwinkle, but the Fillies couldn’t capitalize, as Springlake-Earth took possession and Toscano drew a foul on Cox. She made the first attempt, as Olton took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Toscano missed the second shot, trimming the lead to, 41-38, with 1:21 left to play in the game.

After a springlake-Earth time out, Toscano scored a lay-up off of the assist from Beerwinkle with 30 seconds remaining, but the Fillies were able to run out the clock, taking the contest, 41-40.

Smith led the Fillies in scoring with 13 points, and she was joined in double-figures scoring by Cox, who finished with 10 points. Leathers tallied six points, while Noack chipped in five points and Acker contributed three points. Alcala and Struve both finished with two points in the contest.

The Lady Wolverines were led in scoring by Toscano who netted 13 points and Beerwinkle, who finished with 12 points. Goodman notched seven points, while Furr chipped in four points and Garcia and Samaron each finished with two points in the contest.