Cowgirls edge Canadian for Pitt 8 third place honors

Jan. 21—It was a battle to the end.

Kiowa and Canadian battled Saturday at the Pitt 8 Conference Tournament at Crowder, where the Cowgirls edged the Lady Cougars 60-47 to earn third place honors.

Emery Arnold broke the ice, posting up for a quick bucket for the Lady Cougars. Maccie Bain answered for Kiowa, but Canadian responded with back-to-back Arnold buckets to take a 6-2 lead.

The Cowgirls took a timeout, and hit a scoring run on the other side. They rattled off a 7-3 run to tie the game at 9-9. Kiowa kept pressuring on the offensive side of the ball, jumping out to a 10-9 scoring run that was capped off by an Allie Scrivner triple at the buzzer to put Kiowa up 19-18 after the first period.

Paige Igou drilled a corner triple for the Cowgirls to start the second quarter, but Canadian answered with a three of its own from Ava Moreno. Mollie Bain got a bucket on the baseline for Kiowa, later followed by free throws from Igou and Scrivner — with he Cowgirls taking a 30-25 lead at the break.

Arnold nabbed a bucket for the Lady Cougars to open the second half, but Maccie Bain answered with three quick points. Igou later was fed the ball in the right corner and swished a triple, and Maccie Bain added another post make to go up 11 with 2:55 to play in the quarter.

Alison Wolfenbarger drilled a three the following possession for Kiowa, but Canadian rattled off a 10-0 run behind buckets from Madyson Satterfield, Moreno, Tammanie Anzlovar, and Dasie Graham.

But Igou would be fouled as time expired at the end of the quarter, draining both to make it a 43-47 Kiowa lead heading into the fourth.

Kiowa and Canadian traded scores between Maccie Bain and Arnold to start the fourth. But on the other side of a timeout, Alaina Watson would be fouled and hit both foul shots to cut into the Kiowa lead.

Mollie Bain answered for the Cowgirls, but Watson responded once more — this time with a swishing triple to make it a four-point game. But Wolfenbarger had an answer of her own, draining a three to make it a 52-25 Kiowa lead with 4:28 to play.

Igou was awarded foul shots on the other side, sinking both to extend the lead. But Arnold answered to close the gap down to seven points with under two minutes to play.

Canadian began fouling to stop the clock and send Kiowa to the line. Scrivner hit four consecutive free throws to extend the lead to double digits, sealing away the win for the Cowgirls.

Igou led the way with 22 points, followed by Maccie Bain with 15 points, Scrivner and Mollie Bain with nine points each, Wolfenbarger with three points, and Shaylee Nichols with two points.

Arnold led Canadian with 16 points, followed by Moreno and Anzlovar with 10 points each, Watson with seven points, and Graham and Satterfield with two points each.

SAVANNA 44, CROWDER 31 (Consolation championship)

The Lady Dawgs stayed cool to the end.

Crowder and Savanna battled it out during the Pitt 8 Conference Tournament consolation championship on Saturday, where the Lady Dawgs held off the Demonettes for a 44-31 win to repeat as consolation champions.

Makenna Hoffman got Savanna on the board first, but Crowder answered with buckets Alexas Lizik and Peyton Smith to put the Demonettes out in front. The Lady Dawgs bounced right back, with Kylie James hitting back-to-back buckets to put Savanna up 7-6 after the opening quarter.

Savanna scored to begin the second quarter, but the Demonettes used points from Addison Womack and Emma Lovett to push back into the narrow two-point lead. That's when Ryleigh Ivy drained a triple, putting the Lady Dawgs up 14-13 at the half.

The Lady Dawgs came roaring out of the locker room, using buckets from Sophia Calistro and Ivy to rattle off an 11-0 run and force a timeout to be called with 2:52 left in the third quarter.

On the other side, Lizik was fouled on a made jumper — sinking the foul shot to cut into the deficit. Lizik was later fouled again on the other side of the floor, hitting both free throws to cut the lead down to eight.

As the two teams battled, Hoffman would be fouled in the final seconds of the quarter — making both to put Savanna up 28-18 after three quarters.

Lovett hit a floater up the middle for the Demonettes, but Calistro answered with back-to-back buckets for the Lady Dawgs to get those scores back. Lovett would be fouled her next trip down the floor, hitting both free throws to cut the deficit back down to 10 points with five minutes to play.

Womack next drained a swishing three to put the lead at single digits, but Calistro answered with a pair of free throws on the other end as Crowder called a timeout with 4:10 remaining.

Alaina Monroe would be fouled on the other side, hitting both foul shots for the Demonettes to cut the lead down to seven. Hoffman was next fouled on the opposite end of the floor, hitting both of her shots to extend the lead once again.

After another timeout, Calistro would be fouled again and sent to the line. She hit both of her shots, but Crowder answered with a big three from the top of the key by Smith to cut the deficit back down to seven with two minutes to play.

Calistro was fouled on the other end, and the Lady Dawg made the first. But Crowder was fouled on the rebound, with Smith hitting her first for the answer.

As the game clock hit the 60 second mark, the Demonettes would have to foul to stop the clock. The Lady Dawgs hit those key foul shots, sealing away the win.

Calistro led the way for Savanna with 17 points, followed by Hoffman and Ivy with seven points each, Brionna Fryer with five points, and James and Bryanna Vanciel with four points each.

Lovett led Crowder with eight points, followed by Lizik with seven points, Womack and Smith with six points each, and Monroe with four points.