Wed Mar 10 2010
BARNESVILLE -- Maybe Barnesville High senior Mariah Miller should have a chorus of third-grade girls sing the National Anthem and present her with roses before every game.
After receiving her floral gifts on Wednesday night, all Miller did in her final home game was record 13 points, seven rebounds and six steals in a fiery effort to lead her team to a 48-39 victory against Caldwell.
The opening quarter promised a shootout, as Caldwell (11-4) scored first on a Katlin Weisend layup. Barnesville (6-10) answered when junior Heidi Hines drained a pair of free throws at the 6:40 mark to tie it up at 2-2.
Caldwell junior Jensen Heller scored the next four points, followed by a Weisend jumper, and the Lady 'Skins were on top, 8-2, with 2:36 to play in the initial frame.
The Lady Shamrocks battled back, bringing the margin within three at the close of the quarter, as Miller scored her first two layups and Melanie Baker knocked down a jump shot, and the score stood 13-10 in favor of the visitors.
Sophomore guard Jessica Hunkler kicked things off for Barnesville in the second period, opening the frame with a mid-range jumper followed by a "triple" from the wing, giving the Lady 'Rocks their first lead, 15-13, with 7:04 left in the half.
Down 23-22 with 2:15 remaining before intermission, Weisend splashed a jumper to set off a six-point Caldwell run, and the Lady Redskins entered the locker room with a 28-24 lead.
The third frame was a slugfest, as the physicality of play increased along with defensive pressure.
Lizzy Nau and Weisend opened the half with back-to-back jumpshots for Caldwell, before Barnesville took off on a six-point streak featuring a Hunkler hoop and a Miller layup.
In the final quarter, Barnesville coach Jamie Carpenter dialed up the pressure, and the effect was devastating for Caldwell, as the Lady 'Skins shot just 1-of-6 in the last frame.
After the Lady Shamrocks had surged ahead to lead 39-36 using a Devyn Yeager triple and a Miller breakaway layup, Caldwell's Stacey Mugrage sank a "three" to tie the game with 3:00 on the clock.
That basket would prove to be the last one for the Lady 'Skins, and Barnesville high-tailed it to the finish as Hines connected from three-point range to spur a nine-point rally that would dispel any Caldwell comeback hopes.
"We were fortunate to stay close, and I have to credit that to our defense," Barnesville's Carpenter said. "Baker and (Katy) Hickenbottom did a great job inside."
The duo of Hickenbottom and Baker combined for six blocks (three apiece), and anchored the Lady Shamrock defense that forced 21 Caldwell turnovers and stole the ball 11 times.
"We tell the kids if they work hard on defense, good things will happen," the Barnesville coach continued. "We played a solid game all over tonight, and we had to against a good Caldwell team."
Hines poured in 10 points and grabbed six boards, while Yeager hit a pair of treys en route to seven points. Hunkler added seven markers, five assists, and three steals.
Caldwell was led by Weisend with 10 points and seven boards, and Nau added nine points and six boards. Mugrage scored eight counters and pulled down seven caroms; and Jensen Heller tallied six points and six rebounds.
"We were never able to get any distance between us and them," Caldwell coach Mike Podlasiak related. "We had our opportunities and we couldn't convert those situations. They made a run in the fourth quarter, to their credit.
"They hit some big shots," the Caldwell mentor noted. "We had trouble handling the basketball against them. We just didn't get enough quality shots in the fourth quarter."
The visitors did outrebound Barnesville, 40-32, but only shot 13-of-51 (25 percent) from the field and 11-of-21 (55 percent) from the foul line, while the hosts hit 15-of-53 (28 percent) of their field goals and 12-of-21 (57 percent) of their free throws.
BARNESVILLE 48, CALDWELL 39
Caldwell (11-4)
Dawn Spicer 0-1 0-0 0, Morgan Clark 1-3 0-0 2, Katlin Weisend 5-11 0-0 10,
Jensen Heller 1-9 4-6 6, Maggie Tilton 1-5 1-4 3, Stacey Mugrage 2-8 3-4 8,
Lizzy Nau 3-18 3-7 9. Totals 13-51 11-21 39.
Barnesville (6-10)
Heidi Hines 2-11 5-6 10, Mariah Miller 5-13 3-8 13, Jessica Hunkler 3-6 0-0
7, Melanie Baker 2-11 2-2 6, Devyn Yeager 2-6 2-4 8, Katy Hickenbottom 1-3
0-0 2. Totals 15-53 12-21 48.
Caldwell 13 15 7 4 -- 39
Barnesville 10 14 8 16 -- 48
Three point goals -- CHS 1 (Mugrage); BHS 4 (Yeager 2). Rebounds -- CHS 40 (Tilton
8, Weisend 7, Nau 7); BHS 32 (Miller 7, Hines 6). Assists -- CHS 10 (Mugrage
4); BHS 8 (Hunkler 5). Steals -- CHS 6 (Nau 3); BHS 11 (Miller 6). Blocked
Shots -- CHS 2 (Mugrage 2); BHS 6 (Baker 3, Hickenbottom 3). Fouls -- CHS 14; BHS
19. Fouled Out -- CHS (Mugrage); BHS (none). Turnovers -- CHS 21; BHS 13.
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