Lady Foxes' Late Rally
Earns Them Regional Crown
by Don Hill
(Reprinted McLeansboro Times-Leader February 19, 1987)
The culmination of five seasons of hard work paid off February 12 as the McLeansboro Lady Foxes fought back from an 11-point deficit to overtake the Eldorado Lady Eagles for the championship of the McLeansboro Regional Tournament.
The 55-52 victory and second-straight regional crown for the Lady Foxes earned them a berth in the sectional at Anna-Jonesboro last Tuesday night.
This group of Lady Foxes have been partially intact since its eighth grade-season and appear to be headed for its greatest achievement yet.
Lori Kirsch, Sharon Webb (Bowman), and Kerri Grubb have been a big part of the Lady Foxes success since their freshman seasons and even before as that grade school club took second in the state tournament in 1983.
The first regional championship for the school on the girl's side came last season under fifth-year coach Willie Grubb, but a bid for the sectional fell short in the first round to Massac County.
This time around, the Lady Foxes were shooting for their best yet, but in the early going, it looked as if all the hopes and dreams might go up in smoke.
"We thought the first four minutes would decide the game," coach Willie Grubb said. "And it almost did. But our kids kept their heads up."
The Lady Foxes used the poise and patience that five years together will teach to claw back into the contest as time ran down. But early going had the Lady Foxes reeling from the Eagle barrage.
The Lady Eagles came out of the gate like a team with nothing to lose and played that way for most of the first half. The Lady Foxes had downed the visitors three times this season, but Eldorado seemed determined not to let the fourth time happen.
The Lady Foxes fell behind at 0-2, but quickly tied it at 2-2 on a bucket by Lori Kirsch. Stephanie Dial gave the Lady Eagles the lead at 4-2 and the Lady Foxes would not draw even again unit the fourth period.
While Kirsch was the only offense the Lady Foxes could muster in the first period with seven of the nine points scored, Eldorado was pouring in jumpers from all points as Dial led the attack with eight points.
With the Lady Foxes unable to cash in on free-throw opportunities, the Lady Eagles piled up a 20-9 lead after one frame.
The Lady Foxes came out of the starting gate early in the second as they scored the first five points to pull within six points. But Eldorado responded with Dial taking charge and led at the half 32-24. Dial finished the first half with 16 points.
The fortunes of the Lady Foxes began to change in the second half as Kerri Grubb got two big buckets to pull her squad within four. Denise Bowers made the biggest play of the game to that point as she grabbed an offensive board and, while falling back, tossed it in the bucket at the 5:47 mark.
Eldorado refused to fold, but the Lady Foxes stayed close as the free-throw shooting which had deserted them in the first half came back with a 6-6 third period. Following two by Tina Thomas, Kirsch hit a bucket late in the third to pull the Lady Foxes within two after three periods.
Eldorado jumped out by three quickly, but a three-point play by Kirsch tied it for the first time since the opening two minutes. Three ties ensued as the Lady Foxes were unable to grab the lead. Grubb hit a short-jumper at the 3:30 mark to give the Lady Foxes their first lead of the game at 47-45.
The lead was one the ladies would not relinquish as it swelled to five and the Lady Eagles were never to draw even again as free-throw shooting and offensive board work kept control going the Foxes way.
The Lady Foxes were led in scoring by Grubb with 19 and Kirsch with 18. Sharon Bowman added eight to the effort while Thomas had six and Bowers contributed four.
Dial led the Lady Eagles with 28 points as only Tracy Cain came in with double figures with 10. The Lady Eagles end the season with a 19-10 mark while the Lady Foxes continued at 23-2.
Wednesday night, thw two championship clubs earned their way into the final tilt with easy wins as the Lady Foxes romped past Carrier Mills 78-28 and Eldorado whipped Shawneetown 86-43.
Kirsch was feeling ill effects from the flu in this one, from the flue in this one, but her teammates needed little help in handling the Lady Wildcats as 11 Lady Foxes got into the scoring column. The lead jumped to 26-4 after one period as the Lady Foxes forced as the Lady Foxes forced the opposition into 11 first-quarter turnovers.
The JV players got plenty of time in this one as the lead jumped to 41-7 with the varsity players sitting on the bench. Bowman had a super shooting night as she led the offense with 18 points. Following her were Grubb, 17; Wendy Wingo, 10; Kirsch, 6; Holly Sloan, 5; Kim Parker, 4; Paula Mitchell, 4; Dawn Coombs, 4; and Denise Bowers, 2.
Eldorado had some trouble with Shawneetown in the semi-finals as the Lady Indians jumped out to a 15-12 first-period lead. But the Lady Eagles regrouped and outdueled the Indians 30-11 in the second frame to take a 42-26 halftime lead.
Dial was again the leading scorer as she came in with 27 points and became the all-time leading scorer for one season for the Lady Eagles. She already held the all-time spot for a career. Sutton added 17 and Cain 13 for the Lady Eagles.
Reprinted by permission from McLeansboro Times-Leader - June 17, 1999 by Ryan Nelson
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