Dec. 16—With 13 seconds left to go in the game, the Colbert Lady Leopards (3-6) had the chance to win it at the buzzer.
They had just erased a double-digit deficit and had all the momentum on their side until Savanna’s Bry Vanciel intercepted Colbert’s inbounds pass, sealing the narrow 35-32 victory.
Vanciel led the Lady Bulldogs (4-3) with 12 points and MaKenna Hoffman paced right behind her with eight.
Savanna’s Ryleigh Ivy made her impact felt early in the game as her layup and trip to the charity stripe gave the Lady Bulldogs a 3-0 lead in the opening quarter. However, back-to-back travel and double-dribble calls combined with going one for four at the free throw line allowed for a quick lead change.
Four Colbert starters all got on the board and all of a sudden Savanna was staring at a three-point deficit in the waning seconds of the first quarter. With less than 10 seconds remaining, Lady Leopards senior Aericca Olsen then created the Lady Bulldogs’ fourth turnover of the period and broke free to extend Colbert’s lead 10-5.
Both teams once again got off to slow starts in the second quarter until Hoffman and Vanciel finally put points on the board with two free throws each, tying the game at 10.
The game stayed knotted at a dime for nearly four minutes of game time while both teams traded turnovers and struggled to handle the basketball. Vanciel, though, was able to drive into the paint for two tough buckets, which helped the Lady Bulldogs hold a 14-12 lead at the half.
Opposite to a first half that didn’t feature much scoring, the third quarter saw 10 points go on the board in a matter of three minutes. Vanciel got right back to work with a layup with both Hoffman and Ivy following suit, but through all of that, Savanna still only held a two-point lead.
Olsen along with Lady Leopards junior Alexis Stogner were in perfect sync for Colbert and each scored two buckets to tie the game at 20, but it didn’t last long. With just seconds to go in the third period, Lady Bulldog Hannah Goostree, who had just come off the bench, capped off an 8-0 scoring run with a buzzer-beating layup.
Now leading 28-20, the Lady Leopards needed a spark to have any chance of reducing their deficit and Stogner did just that. Not only did she knock down two jumpers, she also blocked a shot on the perimeter leading to another layup and a Savanna timeout.
Momentum seemed to be shifting back toward the Lady Bulldogs after the timeout as Hoffman and Vanciel both made tough baskets, but a critical travel call gave the Lady Leopards a chance to win the game only down by a pair.
However, Vanciel, who had been making tough plays for Savanna throughout the game, stole Colbert’s inbound pass and knocked down a free throw to seal the 35-32 victory.
The Lady Bulldogs will continue their holiday homestand with a battle against Gore (1-3) Thursday night at 6:30 p.m.
