ANDERSON, Ind. —
Taylor Potts made the winning basket with 10 seconds to play and then Sharice Jones made the decisive steal and the Anderson Lady Tribe won their home opener here Saturday.
Anderson topped Bishop Chatard 69-68 after rallying from a 12-point first half deficit and giving up an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead. It was that kind of game.
The Indians scored 47 points in the middle two quarters to take a 58-47 lead into the final eight minutes. But AHS didn’t get a field goal in the first four plus minutes of the final stanza and fell behind 60-59.
Chelsea Bentley, who had the second-highest point total on the team with 13 and tied for the lead in rebounding with seven, scored from in close with 3:44 to play to give Anderson back the lead at 61-60. During that stretch the Indians had three of their best players on the bench in foul trouble.
“I had Taylor, Sharice and Darien (Thompson) on the bench,” said AHS coach Chad Cook. “I was hoping we could pull through until about three minutes so I could put them in.”
Even with that trio back on the floor, the Tribe trailed 65-62 when an out-of-bounds play got Thompson a 3-pointer from the left corner. She missed the shot but was fouled with 1:10 to go. Thompson had adhered to a pattern in her first three trips to the line on the day. She missed the first and hit the second.
This time she hit all three to tie the contest. Without those freebies, the rest of the heroics might never have happened. She also topped her team in scoring for the game with 18 points.
Potts nailed two straight free throws with under a minute to play after she had only hit one of her first four tries. But Anderson still trailed 68-67 as the final seconds of the game began to disappear as the Trojans hit all three of their field goals and 11 free throws in the final quarter.
“I knew we needed a field goal bad,” said Potts. “I saw the lane was open so a drove to the basket.”
She hit a running jumper after absorbing a slight bump. The ball kissed the glass and went in for a 69-68 lead.
Chatard passed the ball in quickly and passed it downcourt for a chance at a game-winner. But Jones had another idea.
“I knew where the pass was going,” said Jones. “She was dribbling up that (right) side and was looking down that way.”
Jones was waiting for the ball and snatched it. She was swarmed by Trojans.
“I knew my teammates were behind me, so I threw it behind me,” said Jones, who is still wearing a knee brace from knee surgery. The ball went to Potts.
“I knew I had to get it and do something with it,” said Potts. “There was still time left.”
Two passes later and there was no time left.
The Indians always play with the idea that the ball belongs to them and the other team just has a temporary loan on the sphere. Chatard had 34 turnovers. That led to the Indians getting off 71 shots to just 39 for the visitors.
Hannah Gardner topped Chatard with 20 points and Marissa Collier topped both teams with 17 rebounds, an area where Chatard came out on top 44-39.
“I don’t think we really played all that well,” said Jones. “Last year we beat them by 40. We still have a lot to work on.”
Anderson plays again on Wednesday at Class 4A No. 3 Lawrence North.
Sports
Related Photos
-
Anderson's Darien Thompson shoots as the Indians hosted the Bishop Chatard Trojans on Saturday. Don Knight / The Herald Bulletin
Discussion
Tribe trumps Trojans
Big plays from Bentley, Jones lift Anderson in opener
- Sports
-
-
Area high school slate about to heat up
If, as many have stated, the spring high school sports season is indeed a sprint, get ready to jump into overdrive.
Over the next four days — weather permitting — sectional champions will be crowned in softball, girls tennis and boys and girls track will enter regional competition, and baseball will begin sectional play. -
Pacers, Heat start bracing to square off again
A year ago when Miami and Indiana faced off in the postseason, there were blood-drawing hits, flagrant fouls, technical fouls, choke signs being directed toward LeBron James and more than a few sharp-tongued comments.
Here they possibly go again, at least on the comment front. -
Mike Lopresti: Heat just might be unbeatable, but ...
Gee, and the Indiana Pacers thought the last round was tough. That was just the appetizer. Now comes the main course; LeBron James au jus.
-
Newgarden fastest on bump day
After being bumped from the starting field while sitting on the qualifying line on pole day, Josef Newgarden turned the fastest time on bump day assuring himself a spot in the Indianapolis 500.
The field of 33 cars get one final opportunity to practice on Friday before next Sunday’s 97th running of the “500.” -
Johnson wins again and shrugs off the haters
It’s only fitting that Jimmie Johnson’s latest romp through the record books was shrouded in postrace controversy.
What’s a Johnson win, after all, without a good conspiracy theory? -
Pacers knock out Knicks with 106-99 win in Game 6
Lance Stephenson scored a playoff career-high 25 points and led a late 11-2 run Saturday night, leading the Indiana Pacers past the New York Knicks, 106-99 and into the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2004.
-
Allman gets late model win at Anderson Speedway
Rob Allman scored his initial feature win of the season in the McGunegill Engine Performance late models Saturday at Anderson Speedway.
Allman took the lead from the start after the front row of Billy VanMeter and Greg VanAlst were sent to the tail for several false starts. -
Stinson sends Ball State to NCAA golf nationals
The Ball State men’s golf team is on its way to the NCAA Nationals for the first time since 1986 after defeating San Diego State in a playoff Saturday for the fifth and final qualifying spot out of the Pullman Regional.
-
No Triple Crown: Oxbow upsets Orb at Preakness
Oxbow put D. Wayne Lukas in the record books again with an upset of Orb in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, giving the Hall of Fame trainer his 14th win in a Triple Crown race.
-
Ravens’ World Series run comes to an end
The Anderson University softball team survived five elimination games to win the NCAA regional last week in Angola.
It took the nation’s top-ranked team to finally end the Ravens’ remarkable run.
Salisbury scored a 2-0 victory Saturday in Eau Claire, Wis., knocking AU (31-18) out of the NCAA Div. III Softball Championships in the program’s debut trip to the national finals. - More Sports Headlines
-
MLB Hoping for Large Replay Expansion in 2014
America's Cup Officials Say Race Will Continue
LeBron James Wins NBA MVP for Fourth Time
African American Jockey Aims for Derby History
Horse Saved From Slaughter, Goes on to Win Big
Obama: 'Couldn't Be Prouder' of Jason Collins
Sacramento Mayor Lauds NBA Vote on Kings
NBA Star's Aunt: I Am Very Proud of Him
Tebow Time in New York Over After Jets Cut QB
White House Commends Jason Collins on Coming Out
NBA Veteran Jason Collins Comes Out As Gay
Raw: Alligator on Fairway at Zurich Classic
Backpacks Banned From Kentucky Derby
Ex Ravens LB Ayanbadejo Talks Equality
Red Sox Fans: Boston 'Getting Back to Normal'
