This one had it all.
Eisenhower erased a six-point fourth quarter deficit by holding Conneaut Lake scoreless the final four and a half minutes, benefited from a controversial call and earned an important region victory, 46-43, over the Lady Indians.
"We've got a young team and we are asking them to learn a lot of new things as they go," said Eisenhower coach Mike Logue whose Knights improved to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in Region 3. "While young, we expect them to step up in crucial situations and tonight they all did. It was a strong team win."
Article Photos
Times Observer photo by Allen Seybert
Making the pass
Eisenhower’s Halie VanOrd, left, passes to a teammate during Wednesday’s wild 46-43 victory over Conneaut Lake at Eisenhower High School. VanOrd scored a team-high 10 points in the win.
Eisenhower led the entire first quarter, taking a three-point lead into the second. However, Conneaut Lake bounced back with a strong second stanza, holding a three-point lead as the half wound down. Keri Santo got free with the final seconds ticking away, hitting a bucket and getting Ike within 21-20 at intermission.
Things got interesting in the third quarter as Conneaut Lake tried to keep the Knights behind. Freshman Holly Chapman made a free throw to get within 29-27, but the Indians responded with a six-point run to go on top, 35-27.
Still, the young Knights refused to back down and Ike closed within 35-30 with just seconds remaining in the third.
Then - things got wild.
With 4.4 seconds left in the third, Kristen Williams got behind the Lake defense and hit a running layup with less than a second remaining.
Immediately, the Conneaut Lake coaches went into an uproar, claiming the clock did not start when it was supposed to, leaving Williams the time necessary to hit the shot before the final buzzer sounded.
The referees ruled that the shot would stand and the coaches continued their protests as the teams headed to their benches.
Both the Lake coach and assistant coach were hit with separate technicals and Chapman went to the line with no time on the clock to shoot four technical free throws. The first-year varsity player calmly knocked down three of the four freebies, tying the score as the fourth quarter began.
"Those free throws by Holly were huge," said Logue. "She really stepped up and made those big shots for us."
With 7:25 left in the game, Alyssa Peterson hit a jumper to give the Knights their first lead since early in the second quarter. However, Conneaut Lake bounced right back with eight unanswered points, giving it a six-point cushion with 4:26 to play.
On this night, Eisenhower had one more run left in the tank.
Williams started the rally by hitting a three, making it 43-40 with 3:49 left. Just under two minutes later, Lyssa Knapp made one of two free throws to get Ike within two.
Perhaps the biggest free throws of the night were made by Halie VanOrd. With Ike down two and 1:00 left in the game, VanOrd was fouled and hit both free throws to tie things at 43-43.
The teams combined for three turnovers during the next 35 seconds before the Knights found one last scoring opportunity. With 19 seconds left, Williams found Peterson in the post and Peterson calmly put the ball in the hoop, putting Ike on top for good at 45-43.
VanOrd made one of two free throws with 2.7 seconds remaining and Conneaut Lake wouldn't get a possible game tying shot off before the final buzzer sounded.
VanOrd and Chapman led the Knights with 10 points apiece. Peterson and Williams each finished with eight points and Santo added four.
Eisenhower also won the junior varsity contest, 31-16. Meghan Hagberg's nine points were tops for the winners.
The Knights are back in action Friday, hosting Cochranton in another important Region 3 contest.
CONNEAUT LAKE (43): Lucian 1 2-2 4, Betts 4 0-2 9, Gregg 1 2-2 4, Moss 2 0-0 4, M. Hughes 3 1-4 7, A. Hughes 7 1-2 15, Totals: 18 6-12 43
EISENHOWER (46): Lyssa Knapp 1 1-3 3, Haylie Birt 0 0-0 0, Kristen Williams 2 2-2 8, Dakoda Williams 1 0-2 3, Alyssa Peterson 4 0-0 8, Keri Santo 2 0-0 4, Kearsten Maine 0 0-0 0, Halie VanOrd 3 4-6 10, Holly Chapman 3 4-8 10, Totals: 16 11-21 46
Conneaut Lake 8 13 14 8 - 43
Eisenhower 11 9 15 11 - 46
3-pointers: C- Betts; E- K. Williams 2, D. Williams
Junior varsity game
CONNEAUT LAKE (16): King 0 1-1 1, Hoover 3 1-6 7, Millin 2 1-4 5, Murray 0 1-2 1, Nader 1 0-0 2, Totals: 6 4-13 16
EISENHOWER (31): Haylie Birt 2 2-2 6, Sierra Lange 0 0-0 0, Meghan Hagberg 3 3-4 9, Bailey Burch 0 2-4 2, Cassidy Edwards 0 0-0 0, Chelsea Parmenter 0 0-0 0, Danielle Bradish 3 0-0 6, Jackie Talasky 1 0-0 2, Brooke Stanton 2 0-0 4, Aysia Peters 0 0-0 0, Kourtney Knapp 1 0-2 2, Totals: 12 7-12 31
Conneaut Lake 3 5 4 4 - 16
Eisenhower 5 9 11 6 - 31
3-pointers: None
---
West Forest 44, TCCS 6
West Forest jumped out to an 18-0 first quarter en route to a 44-6 win over Tidioute Charter.
TCCS is 0-4 in four road games this season and continues its season after the new year.
TCCS (6): Tanya Krouse 0 0-0 0, Robbi Kitelinger 2 0-2 4, Loralee Lindemuth 0 0-2 0, Lacy Kitelinger 0 0-0 0, Lacy Wolford 1 0-0 2, Aubrey Sunny 0 0-0 0, Morgan Molek 0 0-0 0, Emalei Schaberl 0 0-0 0. Totals 3 0-4 6.
WEST FOREST (42): Schwab 4 1-2 11, B. Bemis 2 0-0 4, Wallace 3 0-2 6, Wagner 2 0-0 4, Botzer 3 1-2 8, N. Bemis 1 1-2 3, Davis 2 0-0 4, Wolbert 0 0-1 0, Miller 2 0-0 4. Totals 18 3-9 44.
TCCS 0 2 2 2 - 6
West Forest 18 12 9 5 - 44
3-pointers: T-None; W-Schwab 2, Botzer.
Junior varsity game
TCCS (4): Robbi Kitelinger 2 0-0 4, Tanya Krouse 0 0-0 0, Lacy Kitelinger 0 0-0 0, Aubrey Sunny 0 0-0 0, Morgan Molek 0 0-0 0, Emalei Schaberl 0 0-0 0. Totals 2 0-0 4.
WEST FOREST (28): Bemis 2 2-4 6, Johnson 1 0-0 2, Davis 1 0-1 2, Black 2 0-0 4, Botzer 0 1-2 1, Schwab 1 0-0 2, Dubrawka 1 1-4 3, Wolbert 1 0-0 2, Bumhe 2 0-0 4, Miller 0 2-2 2. Totals 11 6-13 28.
TCCS 2 0 0 2 - 4
West Forest 2 10 7 9 - 28
3- pointers: None.