One game went down to the final buzzer while the other was decided prior to the midway point of the third period, as the Sweet Springs Greyhounds went on the road to swept Norborne on Wednesday, Jan. 15 in Game of the Week basketball action that was heard on KMMO-FM 102.9.
The Greyhound girls tallied four points in the final 20 seconds to edge their way past the Pirates, 35-33, while the Sweet Springs boys scored at will during the last half of their matchup to roll over Norborne, 67-30.
Late-Game Heroics
Lindsey Shahan scored her only four points of the night with the game winding down, helping her team win by two.
Trailing 33-31 with 20 seconds left, Shahan connected on a three-pointer from the corner, giving the Greyhounds the lead for good, 34-33. Then, after the Pirates missed a shot at the other end of the floor, Shahan was fouled and made one of two free throw attempts with seven seconds remaining to wrap up the scoring at 35-33. Norborne had one final opportunity to tie the game at the end, but missed two free throws with two seconds left to close out the proceedings.
The game was even, 12-12 at intermission with Sweet Springs then leading for most of the last half. The Greyhounds were ahead 30-26 with less than three minutes to go until Sarah Mansur and Avi Leabo hit back to back threes putting the Pirates on top, 32-30. It then appeared as though the home team would hang on and win until Shahan’s late-game outburst pulled the decision out of the fire.
Victorious on the road for the second night in a row, the Sweet Springs girls improved to 3-8 on the season with Ashtyn Johnson tallying 13 points to pace them. Falling to 2-8 for the year, Norborne received 19 points from Leabo despite Leabo missing four straight free throws near the end of the game.
Second-Half Outburst
In the boys’ contest, things were shaping up to be as tight as the girls game until Sweet Springs put an end to those thoughts early in the third quarter. Norborne led 19-15 after one period only to see the visiting Greyhounds go on a 14-5 run during the second stanza to lead 29-24 at the break. Things had been tied 24-24 with two minutes left in the half when Sweet Springs suddenly forced Norborne into making turnover after turnover which allowed the Greyhounds to win in a romp. The I-70 Conference school broke that 24-24 deadlock by outscoring their opponent 43-6 over the final 18 minutes of action to record their 67-30 victory.
Playing the entire fourth quarter with the mercy rule in effect, Sweet Springs snapped a four-game losing streak as they improved to 3-10 overall. Joey Rapp tallied 23 points while Drayton Hampton added 22 to pace the winners. Norborne fell to 4-6 on the year with Thad Hopkins throwing in 11 points to lead them.
Other Scores From Wednesday Night
Girls
Harrisonville 67 Knob Noster 43
Northwestern (Mendon) 64 Keytesville 43
Richmond 69 Penney 42 (at Lawson Tournament)
Santa Fe 40 Leeton 26
Vienna 62 Jamestown 51
Boys
Carrollton 65 Smithton 52
Green City 70 Brookfield 37 (at Milan Tournament)
Mexico 60 Centralia 47
Northwestern (Mendon) 52 Keytesville 8
Penney 50 Odessa 41 (at Lawson Tournament)
St Michael the Archangel 70 Marshall 33 (at Pleasant Hill Tournament)
Slater 80 Fayette 56
Vienna 50 Jamestown 40
Thursday Night Doubleheader from Higginsville
Our featured doubleheader tonight on KMMO-FM 102.9 takes us to Higginsville, where Lafayette County welcome St Paul Lutheran of Concordia. Pregame is at 5:50 p.m. ahead of the girls contest, with the boys tipping off around 7:30. Other games tonight include:
Doubleheaders
Bucklin/Macon County at Tina-Avalon
Grundy County at Southwest Livingston
Orrick at La Monte
Windsor at Sherwood
Girls
Holden at Knob Noster
Kauffman vs. Wellington-Napoleon (at Lathrop tournament)
Marshall vs Pembroke Hill (at Pleasant Hill tournament)
St. Elizabeth at Bunceton/Otterville
Boys
Breckenridge at Sweet Springs
Butler at Holden
Cairo at La Plata
Sacred Heart at Harrisburg
Northwest (Hughesville) at Linn
Versailles at Belle