PRINCETON — At the conclusion of the girls’ regional basketball tournament at Princeton on March 4, the scoreboard read “Home — 48, Visitors — 53”. The Ripley Lady Vikings had thwarted Princeton’s bid for a second consecutive trip to the state tournament.
In the locker room after the game, Princeton head coach Debbie Ball told the team, “I am very, very proud of you and your efforts this season.”
As the Tigerettes filed out of the locker room, there were not many visible dry eyes.
The Princeton girls had played hard, and they had played well. They were just six points short of fulfilling their dreams of returning to the state tournament.
With the graduation of all five starters from last year’s team, many Princeton supporters thought that this Tigerette team would be fortunate to win three or four games. They surprised the doubters. Although their final record stood at 10-12, the Tigerettes were a formidable team at the end of the season. Moreover, due to the persistent foul weather, four very winnable games were cancelled. In addition, Princeton captured the sectional championship and was very close to being the regional champs.
When Ball was asked about the keys to the team exceeding expectations, she replied, “There were several factors. My coaching staff (brother Skip Ball, Tamara Scott and Tina Six) worked long and hard and provided valuable insights. Our seniors, Brittany “CD” Lankford, Krystle White and Cheyanne Walker continued to hone their basketball skills and provided strong leadership. The underclassmen had talent, were very eager to learn, and were very coachable.”
The head coach also had a lot to do with the team’s achievements.
At the start of the regional game, Ripley’s Alannah Sheets, the Mountain State Athletic Conference’s leading scorer, staked the visitors to an 8-0 lead.
With 3:15 remaining in the first quarter, White’s two foul shots put the Tigerettes in the scoring column. Field goals by Hannah Preservati, Lankford, and McKenzie “Zee” Akers and foul shots by Akers and Walker enabled Princeton to cut the deficit to 14-11 by the end of the first quarter. The Tigerettes claimed their first lead at 15-14 with a Walker field goal. At the break, Princeton held a 25-21 advantage.
Lankford connected on the first field goal of the third quarter to extend their Tigerettes’ lead to 27-21. This six-point advantage was Princeton’s high water mark. The score was tied at 33, but by the end of the quarter, the Lady Vikings assumed a 38-35 advantage.
They would not relinquish the lead the rest of the contest.
The final quarter was frustrating one for Princeton players and fans. The Tigerettes battled furiously, but could not take the lead. Four times in the period, Tigerettes were knocked to the floor, but there were no subsequent foul calls. The officiating crew appeared to be strong adherents to a “no blood, no foul” policy.
Princeton outshot the Lady Vikings 37 percent to 31 percent from the field, but Ripley drilled seven three-pointers to one for the home team. At the foul stripe, Ripley converted 74 percent of their attempts to the Tigers’ 60 percent. Princeton outrebounded Ripley 31-28, but the visitors had a slim advantage in the turnover margin.
Ripley’s Sheets had a career night, pumping in 30 points, including four of five goals from beyond the arc. In addition, she canned 14 of 17 foul shot opportunities.
Lady Viking post player Taylor Wilson tallied 11 points and grabbed 10 boards. Samantha Hatcher drilled three long-range goals. These three players were the only scorers for Ripley.
For Princeton, Lankford tallied a career-high 15 points, including her only three-pointer as a Tigerette. She hauled in 10 rebounds to record a double-double. Walker also registered a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Akers netted 11 points and contributed four steals. Mary Beth Miller hit for seven points, including a beautiful, sweeping hook shot. Krystle White and Hannah Preservati chipped in with two points each.
This Tigerette team was characterized by its heart and its tenacity.
Princeton Times Sports
March 12, 2010
Ripley denies Tigerettes a trip to state tournament
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