Ain't over till it's over

For most of the game between New Rockford-Sheyenne and Napoleon/Gackle-Streeter on Thursday, Dec. 12, neither team was capable of shooting the basketball.

The N/G-S Imperials didn't even score a point until well into the second quarter, and the Rockets were hardly shooting any better.

As open looks for both teams missed their mark time-and-time-again, it felt as though both squads might fall short of scoring just 20 points on the night.

However, that was before the fourth quarter got underway.

Up until then, the Rockets had held a slim lead for most of the first half and went into halftime with an 11-9 advantage. But after scoring just a single field goal in the third quarter, the Rockets allowed the Imperials to open an 18-14 lead going into the final eight minutes.

And then, with almost no warning, the Rockets suddenly couldn't miss.

The last quarter began with a mid-range jump shot from Kaci Weisenburger, and kept going with a basket from Isla Jacobson and two more from Ava Peterson.

Peterson in particular managed to be effective down the stretch, scoring eight points in the fourth quarter alone and 15 points in the game.

Meanwhile, the Imperials' Brooklyn Schneider was helping her team keep pace with her 3-point shooting, but eventually their offense once again fell silent.

As the clock ticked down, perhaps the biggest shot of the night came from Kaiya O'Connor, as she converted a mid-range jumper with three minutes left in regulation and opened a 26-23 advantage for the Rockets.

Under normal circumstances a 3-point lead is hardly enough to feel comfortable when there's still three minutes on the clock, but on a night when baskets were so few and far between, such a lead almost felt insurmountable.

And as it turned out, it was.

There would only be one more field goal made following O'Connor's basket, which was scored by the Imperials' Dawson Erbele to make it a 1-point game with less than a minute remaining.

But when it mattered most the Rockets were able to close out the win, thanks in large part to Peterson shooting 4-of-4 from the foul line in the game's final seconds.

The final score was 30-25 in the Rockets' favor, earning them their second win of the season, bringing their overall record 2-4.

The girls won't play again until the new year, when they face North Prairie at home on Friday, Jan. 3.

Non-Region

Girls Basketball

NR-S 30, N/G-S 25

Thursday, Dec. 12

at New Rockford

NR-S: 8 3 3 16 - 30

N/G-S: 0 9 9 7 - 25

NR-S: Ava Peterson 15, Emmie Belquist 7, Kaiya O'Connor 4, Isla Jacobson 2, Kaci Weisenburger 2. Totals: 12 FG, 6-8 FT, 14 fouls. 3-pointers: None.

N/G-S: Brooklyn Schneider 9, Dawson Erbele 8, Ali Gross 6, Jada Schuanzenberger 2. Totals: 11, 0-6 FT, 12 fouls. 3-pointers: Schneider 3.