FAIRMOUNT, Ind. —
Madison-Grant girls basketball coach Kyle Douglas reminded his team before Tuesday’s Class 2A sectional opener that the state tournament marks the beginning of a new season.
With 4.6 seconds remaining against Alexandria, Argylls senior Taylor McNutt held the first game of that new season in her hands at the free-throw line.
She calmly made her first attempt, and wild scramble for the loose ball erupted when her second try glanced off the rim. The clock expired before either team could gain possession, and Madison-Grant (14-8) escaped with a 58-57 victory and a ticket to Round 2.
“That girl ... she’s a warrior,” Douglas said afterward of McNutt. “She does all the dirty things and a lot of times goes unnoticed. For her to have the opportunity as a senior to seal that game is what she deserves. She put in a lot of work.”
McNutt’s free throw capped a wild finish to the Argylls’ third victory this season against the Tigers (8-14), and their second in the past five days.
The Central Indiana Conference rivals first met Jan. 5 in the fifth-place game of the Madison County Tournament. Madison-Grant won that one 41-31, and the rematch took place last Thursday with the Argylls claiming a 59-47 decision.
All three games took place on Madison-Grant’s home court, but Douglas had no feeling of comfort entering the third and final battle.
“Alexandria is a great team, and they’re a great coached team,” he said. “That makes it even tougher to play a team three times, let alone twice in five days. This was one of those games where you just want to get out with a victory, and luckily we did that.”
As Douglas suspected, it wasn’t easy.
The Argylls led 33-31 after a fast-paced first half, but junior Shanna Kelly opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer to give Alexandria its only lead of the game.
Kelly scored a game-high 32 points, 13 more than her season average. Kelly shot 12-of-23 overall and was 4-of-8 from 3-point range.
“I never know how many (points) she’s scored because everything she gets is in the flow of the game,” Tigers coach Tina Bolte said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the way she’s really stepped up and become a leader this year.”
Madison-Grant answered with an 11-2 run and appeared to take control of the game for good.
The Tigers still trailed 54-44 midway through the fourth quarter when Kelly was fouled in the act of shooting a 3-pointer and converted a four-point play.
That sequence swung the momentum in Alexandria’s favor and started an 11-3 run that left Madison-Grant with a 57-55 with 28.2 seconds remaining.
Alexandria forced a turnover on a trap, but Peyton Quinn missed a jumper that would have tied the game, and Brandie Russell pulled down the rebound for Madison-Grant,
After a timeout with 17.4 seconds to play, the Tigers again sprung a trap. This time they forced a jump ball and were awarded possession with 13.9 seconds left.
Paxton Quinn scored underneath the basket four seconds later, and the contest was tied.
But, attempting to force another remarkable turnover, Peyton Quinn was whistled for her fifth foul on the ensuing inbounds pass, and McNutt went to the line for her game-winner.
Bolte said the players were reminded not to foul, but she wanted to make certain the Tigers remained aggressive.
“It never comes down to one possession,” Bolte said. “There were plenty of opportunities all throughout the game for us to have that opportunity (to win).”
Olivia Stroup led Madison-Grant with 22 points, and Katie Kohlmorgen added 17. McNutt finished with nine for the Argylls.
Peyton Quinn also scored nine points for the Tigers.
Madison-Grant will play ninth-ranked Tipton (18-4) in the semifinals on Friday.
High School Sports
Related Photos
-
Madison-Grant Logo
Discussion
Madison-Grant survives, advances
- High School Sports
-
-
Tipton bedevils Madison-Grant
The Madison-Grant softball team dug a deep hole on Friday night in the championship game of the Class 2A, Sectional 39 at Eastern High School in Greentown. Trailing 5-0 after four innings, the Argylls scratched their way back into the game, but were on the short end of a 5-4 decision against the Tipton Blue Devils.
-
Indians’ Dabney headed to state
The North Central Boys Track Regional is traditionally one of the toughest in the state with powerhouses Lawrence Central, Ben Davis, Pike and the host Panthers among the competitors
But that didn’t faze Anderson senior Derrick Dabney, who turned in two brilliant performances in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles at Thursday’s regional to advance to the state meet at Indiana University in Bloomington next Saturday. -
Roller coaster ride comes to end for Lapel
The Lapel Bulldogs couldn’t overcome one more hurdle in their roller-coaster season on Thursday as they fell to Wapahani 4-1 in the softball championship game of the Class 2A, Sectional 40 at Shenandoah High School.
-
Mason powers Bulldogs into final
The Frankton pitching staff opened the door just a tick Thursday with occasional bouts of wildness. Lapel sophomore Dane Mason blew the door off its hinges with the first multi-homer game of his high school career — including a walk-off grand slam — and the third-ranked Bulldogs stomped the rival Eagles 14-3 to reach this Class 2A baseball sectional final.
-
Panthers upset Tigers in sectional
Elwood used a seven-run third-inning to stun Alexandria 11-5 and advance to the semifinals of the Class 2A baseball sectional at Eastern.
-
Shenandoah bows out with loss to Wapahani
Wapahani’s Red Raiders advanced to the championship game of the Class 2A Frankton Baseball Sectional with a 7-2 win over Shenandoah.
-
Arabians defend softball title
The Pendleton Heights softball team seemed determined Wednesday to both learn from the past and repeat the parts of it that it found favorable.
That combination resulted in a 7-1 victory over Greenfield and the 4A sectional championship.
The Arabians will play the champion from the Roncalli Sectional in Tuesday’s regional at Pendleton Heights at 7 p.m. -
Pendleton Heights survives round one
The bottom of Pendleton Heights’ batting order came up big Wednesday, and the Arabians survived to fight another day in this Class 4A baseball sectional.
Brandon Schnepp, Skyler Reis and Augdan Wilson — PH’s seventh, eighth and ninth hitters — combined to hit 6-for-8 with two doubles, four runs scored and four RBIs. That was enough to keep the Arabians one step ahead of upstart Connersville until a five-run sixth-inning rally broke open the 10-4 victory. -
Tribe snaps out of long sectional funk
The Anderson Indians baseball team didn’t just get a monkey off their collective backs, they knocked it out of the park ... three times.
Behind a trio of home runs and a strong pitching performance by Curtis Wilson, Anderson won its first sectional baseball game in three years. -
Eagles, Bulldogs reach semifinals
Wednesday was a good night if you were a fan of the Frankton-Lapel Community Schools baseball teams as Frankton knocked off Winchester 17-7 and Lapel routed Muncie Burris 5-1 in Class 2A baseball sectional play.
- More High School Sports Headlines
-
