Down by three and with only two-tenths of a second left on the clock, senior Mandy Turnbull hit nothin’ but net — from 30-feet out — to send the game into overtime.
After that, it was all Friday Harbor.
The Wolverines pulled the rug out from under a stunned Crusaders squad in the extra period to bag a 48-40 victory Tuesday on the road at Shoreline Christian (1-4, league).
With the win, Friday Harbor kept its undefeated record in Northwest 1A/2B League play in tact, at 5-0, beat back the Crusaders’ upset bid, tallied its first overtime win of the season and got back on the winning track following back-to-back losses over the holidays against two non-league opponents.
“A huge win for us and the boost we needed after coming off two beatings by Nooksack and (Mount) Baker,” Coach Eric Jangard noted in an email recap of the game. “The girls never quit and believed we always had a chance to be successful.”
A little faith goes a long way, evidently.
The Wolverines, up by four points at the half, gradually fell behind in what proved a see-saw battle after the break. Trailing by three points and with just six seconds remaining in regulation, they fouled Sarah Ott, Shoreline Christian’s top scorer, to freeze the clock.
Ott, who tossed in 15 points to lead the home team, missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw attempt, and Friday Harbor sophomore Tabatha Keane, who had 11 rebounds and eight steals in the game, grabbed the ball as it bounded off the rim.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Keane passed the ball up floor to Larissa Nash, who then passed in turn to Jean Melborne, who then found Turnbull open on the right wing and about 30 feet away from the hoop.
Turnbull, who led all scorers with 18 points, took one dribble and cast up a rainbow-like shot that barely tickled the net as it dropped through the hoop and landed on the court, turning a near-defeat into a pot of gold.
The Wolverines outscored Shoreline Christian 11-3 in overtime to seal the win. Melborne tallied 12 points and senior Liz Taylor contributed seven; sophomore Elle Woodward added four points.
Next
The Wolverines square off against league rival Cedar Park Christian tonight, Friday, at home; tip off is 7:30 p.m. in Turnbull Gym. They face Meridian at home tomorrow, Saturday, game time is noon.
