What we learned in Danville girls basketball win over New London
NEW LONDON — The excitement level at Charles Lorber Gymnasium was at a fever pitch Friday night.
The New London High School girls basketball team, which had lost its previous 24 games, had closed within three points of Danville with just under three minutes to play.
The Tigers were jumping up and down on the sideline. The fans were chanting, "Defense" at the top of their lungs.
Surely this would be the night the Tigers finally found the win column.
Danville sophomore Jaeda Molle had other ideas.
Molle had three steals in crunch time and the Bears sank 9-of-14 free throws in the final two minutes to hold on for a 54-41 SEI Superconference South Division win over the Tigers.
The Tigers are getting closer to that elusive victory, but Molle made sure it wouldn't be against Danville.
“We didn’t give up. We fought hard. It might not have bene our best game, but we definitely fought hard," Molle said. “The first quarter went really well. I don’t know what happened in the second quarter. We only scored like seven points. The second half went downhill until about three minutes to go in the fourth quarter and then thank goodness we can make free throws. We might have lost that game if we wouldn’t have.”
“They gave it their all tonight. We played as a team. We played well. On the court. Off the bench. Starters. I can’t complain," New London coach Terri Hester-Mathews said. “When we got within five they were really excited. Then we got within three and they were super pumped. We just couldn’t get it at the end, unfortunately.”
Fast start, cold finish for Bears
Danville used its helter-skelter style to create 11 New London turnovers in the first quarter. The Bears were able to parlay those turnovers into a 19-8 advantage after the first eight minutes.
“I played like the interceptor. The top people have to trap for me to get steals. I just feed off of what they’re doing and then go for the ball," Molle said.
Still, the Bears couldn't put New London away. The Bears were just 3-of-34 (0.8 percent) from 3-point range on the night.
A free throw by Ashlyn McSorley and a putback by Morgan Jones allowed New London to close within 28-16 by halftime.
“We went into the locker room at halftime, gave them a little pep talk and told them they were in it. Down by 12. I couldn’t complain," Hester-Mathews said.
A memorable second half
Trailing by nine entering the fourth quarter, the Tigers put together perhaps their best eight minutes of the season.
Baskets by Sophie Malott and Camryn Lair and a free throw by Natalie Burden pulled the Tigers within 40-36.
Moments later, a Burden layup and a free throw by McSorley pulled the Tigers within 43-40 with 3 minutes, 2 seconds remaining.
But free throws would prove to be the Tigers' undoing. New London was just 15-of-33 (45.4 percent) from the free-throw line.
“We’re struggling on free throws. I don’t know if that’s nerves or what it is. We have some freshmen that can’t make them and we have some upperclassmen that can’t make them. It’s just a battle we continue to build from," Hester-Mathews said. “They brought it themselves, but it got away from us. Their free throws and our foul trouble. I had three of my upperclassmen foul out tonight.”
Molle steals the show, and the game
Early in the fourth quarter, Taylor Moore deflected a New London pass. Molle grabbed the ball and sprinted down the court and was fouled on the layup. She sank both free throws to put the Bears up, 40-36.
“She tipped it and I just went for it. I tried to get it in as quick as I could to get our points going because we were up by four," Molle said.
Molle had a putback and two steals in the final two minutes as the Bears held on.
On the horizon
Danville (7-10 overall, 6-7 SEI Superconference South Division) after traveling to play WACO on Saturday afternoon, hosts WACO on Tuesday, then travels to play Cardinal on Thursday.
New London (0-19, 0-14) travels to play Central Lee on Tuesday.
By the numbers
DANVILLE (54)
Jaeda Molle 2-10 5-13 13, Ava Smith 0-3 4-6 4, Graci Walker 2-5 1-4 5, Makenzie Morris 5-8 2-4 13, Cassidy Yaley 3-12 4-10 9, Taylor Moore 0-6 1-2 1, Rylee Morris 2-7 0-2 4, Kenna Furnald 0-5 0-0 0, Elizabeth Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Jacey Moore 0-0 0-1 0, Alexis Dietsch 0-1 0-0 0, Hailey Parrot 0-1 0-0 0, Sadie Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Raegan Henkelvig 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 15-59 20-42 54.
NEW LONDON (41)
Natalie Burden 4-11 5-12 13, Ashlyn McSorley 1-8 6-10 8, Emma Nye 1-3 0-0 2, Camryn Lair 3-6 1-4 7, Sophie Malott 2-3 2-2 6, Mylee Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Isabelle Nye 0-0 0-0 0, Kayla Strawhacker 0-1 0-0 0, Morgan Jones 1-2 0-2 2, Jazzmine Pacheco 0-0 0-0 0, Lillie Gallup 0-2 1-3 1. Totals: 13-38 15-33 41.
Score by quarters
Danville. 19. 9. 12 14. — 54
New London. 8. 8. 13. 10. — 41
Fouls: Danville 22, New London 29. Fouled out: Burden, McSorley, Nye. Technicals: Danville. 3-point goals: Danville 3-24 (M.Morris 1-3, Molle 1-5, Yaley 1-9, R.Morris 0-1, Dietsch 0-1, A.Smith 0-2, Walker 0-2, Furnald 0-5, T.Moore 0-6), New London 0-4 (Burden 0-1, Malott 0-1, McSorley 0-2).
Records: Danville 7-10 overall (6-7 SEI Superconference South Division), New London 0-19 (0-14).
This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Danville hangs on down the stretch against feisty New London team
