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Sheldon sophomores strike in semifinals
By Joe Warren
Nevada Daily Mail
Playing with as many as four sophomores on the court at one time, the Sheldon Lady Panthers upset the Montrose Lady Blue Jays 23-18 Wednesday, advancing to the district championship game.
Led by sophomores Ashley Danner and Jerri Moore, along with key play from lone senior Jessie Moore, the Lady Panthers overcame a one-point half to get the win.
The Lady Panthers used their athleticism to frustrate Montrose as they held the second-seeded Lady Jays to five points in the first half.
Montrose was even more stingy as they kept sixth-seeded Sheldon from scoring a field goal before halftime.
A free throw by Danner with 5:28 left in the first quarter was the only point the Lady Panthers could muster for the first 16 minutes of play as Montrose led 5-1 at the half.
In the second half Sheldon started slowly again, finally making their first field goal with 3:18 left in the third period on a layup by Jerri Moore. That made the score 6-4.
The final two minutes of the third period seemed like an offensive explosion as the Lady Jays scored on baskets by Stephanie Engaman, Jenny Swaters and Lindsey Jurgensmeyer.
Sheldon countered with a bucket by sophomore Kelsey Hancock and a three-pointer at the buzzer by Danner that was banked in off the glass.
Going into the fourth period Sheldon trailed 12-9.
In the fourth period Danner, who finished with a game-high 11 points, took control.
Danner scored to open the quarter cutting the lead to 12-11. After a basket by Swaters gave Montrose a 14-11 lead, Danner stole the ball and drove the length of the floor to lay it in to make the score 14-13.
On the next possession Danner again made a layup, driving past one defender and putting the shot in over another to give Sheldon their first lead of the game, 15-14.
After that neither team scored for over three minutes as Sheldon ate the clock until Danner was fouled with 1:25 left. She hit one of her two free throws to give Sheldon a 16-14 lead.
With 1:13 left sophomore Ashley Leininger was fouled, sending her to the line to shoot the bonus.
Leininger made the first free throw and converted the bonus to give Sheldon an 18-14 lead.
With 34.9 seconds left Jerri Moore hit both ends of the one-and-one to make it 20-14.
Jurgensmeyer scored for Montrose to make it 20-16 with 28 seconds left.
After a Lady Jay timeout, Jessie Moore was fouled with 21.5 seconds left. Despite struggling from the line all game, the senior hit both free throws to seal the game at 22-16.
Sheldon coach Jason Irwin knew the game would be a defensive struggle going in.
"I told our girls going into this game, 'they're a great defensive team and we're a great defensive team,'" Irwin said.
The Sheldon win avenged two earlier losses to Montrose, including a 42-point debacle on Dec. 3.
Both teams played outstanding defense Wednesday, keeping the other from getting many open looks in the first half. When the two schools did get shots, neither could convert, leading to the 5-1 halftime score. That was also the score at the end of the first quarter as neither team got on the board in the second period.
Irwin said his team was frustrated to have only one point at halftime, but he wanted them to be happy with the way the game had gone defensively.
"I told the girls, 'we've got them right where we want them,'" he said. "We just had to score some points."
Montrose was led by Jurgensmeyer, who scored nine points.
Sheldon (14-13) will play Drexel in the Class 1, District 12 championship game Friday, also in Hume.
Drexel defeated Northeast Vernon County 65-35 in the other semifinal game Wednesday.