With 7.2 seconds left in a tie game, coach Kris Flood called time out and told his team to get the ball to Brooke Stanfield at the top of the key for the final play.
“Honestly, I was terrified. I’m not the point guard,” Stanfield says.
It didn’t matter. Stanfield went around a double-screen, beat the defender to the bucket, and banked home the game-winning layup as time expired in a 54-52 win over previously unbeaten Kirkwood at the Norm Stewart Classic in Columbia.
Stanfield’s game-winner gave her 19 points for the game. Taylor Fergen led the Lady Tigers with a career-high 21 points, including a perfect 12-for-12 performance from the free throw line. Jordan Kabetske scored six points, and Alexis Ladwig and Brylee Argo scored four apiece.
See Stanfield’s game-winner, the Yocum Automotive Drive of the Game:
Kirkwood used full-court trapping defense to build a 13-10 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Lady Tigers used their own press to control the second quarter, outscoring the Pioneers 22-11 to take a 32-24 lead into halftime. Fergen says the Republic was able to uncover weak points in the Pioneer press.
“On their full-court press they kind of backed up and left the middle open a lot. If they were pinching in the middle, we could lob it over on the sidelines,” Fergen says. “If they were out on the sides, we could get in the middle and push it down the floor. That helped a lot.”
But in the third quarter, Kirkwood’s pressure again caused problems for the Lady Tigers. The Pioneers outscored Republic 12-6, closing the gap to 38-36 heading into the final period. It was back and forth the rest of the way, until Stanfield’s bucket provided the winning points.
Coach Kris Flood says after two straight blowout wins to start the season, Saturday’s win was good for the team.
“I think so, especially for some of our kids who don’t have a ton of experience. We get to play in that type of atmosphere and that type of game, where it’s just tight and possessions matter,” Flood says. “We were able to get a stop when we needed it and executed a play there at the end.”
Republic shot just 31% from the floor and just 14% from three-point range — making two of 14 attempts. But they got to the line 31 times, making 24 free throws.
Kirkwood hit 40% of its field goal attempts and make three of 14 three-point attempts (21%). But they were just 15 of 26 from the free throw line.
Republic improves to 3-0. Kirkwood is 3-1.
