LAPEL, Ind. —
It was a special night for two players as Lapel hosted Frankton on Tuesday.
The Lapel Bulldogs honored their lone senior, Rachel Steele, during Senior Night. And Frankton junior Kelsey Key scored the 1,000th point of her career with two minutes left in the first half.
Only one came away with a happy ending. Steele’s night closed in jubilation while Key’s was soured by a 48-46 buzzer-beating victory by the Bulldogs.
The biggest lead at any point of the back-and-forth contest was the 7-point advantage Lapel (8-12) took to open the fourth quarter.
After Lapel’s Kaitlin Dobbins hit a 3-pointer to start the fourth and put the Bulldogs up 37-30, Key got on a roll and scored Frankton’s next 10 points, giving the Eagles a 40-39 advantage with 2:26 to play.
There were six lead changes in the final 2:16. Frankton (9-11) had the ball in the waning seconds, but as Key drove to the bucket, Lapel’s Mackenzie Boles and Stephanie Pritchett collapsed the lane, forcing Key to lose the ball. As bodies flew around, it was Boles who came up with the loose ball and drove from mid-court for the game-winning layup.
“It was a great game, great atmosphere, great crowd,” Lapel coach Kevin Brattain said. “Frankton did an amazing job. I mean they came out and really played hard. We knew they would. We knew it wasn’t going to a be a 20-point game again (referring to the Bulldogs’ 21-point win over Frankton in the Madison County tournament). Key just kicked our butt all over the gym.”
Brattain said it’s hard to downplay the intra-school rivalry.
“This is such a big game, we all try to say it’s not but it is,” he said. “I have the utmost respect for (coach) Dean (Riddle). He’s a great coach, and we’re good friends. I know he’s going to come out and try to do the best he can to kick our butt, and we’re going to do the best we can to beat them. It’s always going to be that way.”
Frankton coughed up the ball 21 times, while the Bulldogs had six miscues. Riddle thought is was pretty miraculous the Eagles went into a hostile environment and kept the game close.
“That’s a (turnover) huge gap in a two-point game,” he said. “It’s almost unbelievable. That’s something we can fix.”
As good as Key is, Riddle feels like she is just scratching the surface of her potential.
“The good thing about her is she’s capable of so much more,” he said. “As good as she is and as well as she can score the ball, we haven’t touched her potential yet. We’re really proud of her. She’s beating herself up right now for the turnover at the end, but in a team game we all make mistakes and that’s just part of it.”
Key finished with a game-high 28 points and 10 rebounds. Carliegh Tucker and Katie Key finished with eight points each.
Lapel had three players in double figures, led by Kirsten Rich’s 18 points. Boles had 14, and Dobbins had 11 points. Morgan Tarlton led Frankton with eight boards.
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Related Photos
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Frankton's Kelsey Key shoots and scores her 1,000th career point as the Lapel Bulldogs hosted the Eagles on Tuesday. Don Knight
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Lapel's Kaitlin Dobbins drives as she is guarded by Frankton's Allie Rogers as the Bulldogs hosted the Eagles on Tuesday. Don Knight
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Lapel senior Rachel Steele looks to pass as the Bulldogs hosted the Eagles on Tuesday. Don Knight
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Frankton's Payton Dellinger shoots as she is guarded by Lapel's Kirsten Rich as the Bulldogs hosted the Eagles on Tuesday. Don Knight
Discussion
Bulldogs nip Eagles with buzzer-beater
Frankton's Kelsey Key tops 1,000 points
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