Lady Indians take fourth
BY NICK CORN
Holly Hutcherson hugs Katelyn O’Brien after O’Brien hit a three pointer to tie the game with 40 seconds left. The Lady Indians would come up short, losing 48-44 to Centre.
In their the last three state tournament appearances, including back-to-back seasons, St. Paul has won their opening game before dropping the next two to finish in fourth place. The Lady Indians, who were in the game but down most of it, made one last attempt at getting over the hump vs. Centre, but it wasn’t enough to take home the third place trophy.
The first quarter ended with an 8-7 lead in favor of Centre. Both teams traded leads, and the Lady Cougars & Indians seemed to match up well.
In the second quarter, The Lady Cougars began to set the pace of the game, taking a 21-15 lead into the break. Neither team shot well from the field in the first two quarters, but the difference was at the free-throw line. St. Paul made six shots in the first half at a 25% clip, but made just two of three free throws. Centre made just four field goals on 23.5% shooting in the first half, but they hit 13-16 from the charity stripe. Or, I guess you could say the Cougars got many more opportunities at the charity stripe, and the St. Paul crowd let the referees know about it.
A stunned and emotional Lady Indians team, after their season came to an end on Saturday. St. Paul would finish 4th at the state tournament for the second year in a row.
The Lady Indians outscored Centre 12-9 in the third quarter, closing the gap to a 30-27 score going into the fourth.
Lone senior Ashton Wood, playing in her last game as a St. Paul Lady Indian.
In their final quarter of the season, St. Paul gave it all they had. Finally, after over three and a half quarters, Holly Hutcherson hit a jumper just outside the paint to give the Lady Indians a one point lead. It was very short lived, as Centre would take it right back, hitting a shot their very next possession. St. Paul would fall behind again by as many as five points. You could feel an exciting ending was in store, as the game got more intense, and both teams crowds got louder and louder. Then, after battling the entire game, the Lady Indians tied it at 44 on a Katelyn O’Brien three with 40 seconds left. The Lady Cougars proved resilient, coming back with yet another basket of their own, this time closing the door on St. Paul. After a pair of free throws by Centre, the Lady Indians missed a meaningless three at the buzzer, losing 48-44 and finishing out their season. It was a game that had every type of emotion imaginable, ultimately ending in defeat.
Josie Albertini led the team with 13 points. She also recorded five rebounds, four steals, and four assists. Holly Hutcherson hit double digits with 10 points, and Keyahnah Burk scored nine. Burk also led the team with six rebounds and six steals.
With the loss, St. Paul placed fourth at the 1A-D1 state tournament with a 22-4 record on the season. While they only have one senior to replace next year, that will be no small task. Ashton Wood is a senior that has seen the Lady Indians come full circle. Going from a mediocre team her freshman and sophomore seasons, to sub-state champions and back-to-back state tournament appearances her junior and senior seasons. As a four-year starter for the Lady Indians, her role on the court as well as off the court will be missed. However, with four starters coming back, plus Jordyn Tuck returning from injury for her senior season, and all of their bench with a year of experience, it’s safe to say that the Lady Indians have a great shot at returning to the state scene next year.
BOX SCORE
SPHS 7 8 12 17 FINAL 44
C-LS 8 13 9 18 48
ST PAUL: Albertini 13, Hutcherson 10, Burk 9, O’Brien 5, R. Rice 4, Wood 3
3-PT FG: Albertini, Burk, O’Brien, Wood