Photo by Darian Hays
Briana Morgan contends the ball with Monticello’s Janessa Pankey Thursday.

Second-half letup almost results in loss

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Last Thursday night, Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond won by a slim margin after holding a double digit lead at halftime over Casey-Westfield. History repeated itself the next day.

The Lancers held a 21-11 lead at the break over Monticello in Arthur, due in large part to eight points from junior guard Emily Seegmiller in the second quarter.

“I just told myself to keep going,” Seegmiller said. “I wasn’t just shooting for myself; I was looking for other people as well, and I just got some good looks.

“Emily is a good athlete and she was being aggressive tonight,” Lancers head coach Craig Moffett said. “In the first game of the season she scored in the low single digits, and I told her to be patient and aggressive, and these last two games she has really come out when the other teams have adjusted to Sherelle. She, as well as Alex (Miller), got some good scores down low in the first half, and that really helped us.” 

Photo by Darian Hays
Briana Morgan contends the ball with Monticello’s Janessa Pankey Thursday.

Monticello opened the half with the ball, but on the first pass of the half, Seegmiller intercepted it and went coast-to-coast for the lay in, and it looked as if the Lancers would have their way in the second half as they did in the first.

But that is why the game is played.

After Seegmiller’s bucket 13 seconds into the second half, the Sages went on a 5-2 run to pull the game to 23-16 after Sherelle Coller threw two turnovers and committed two fouls in exactly one minute of play, forcing a full Lancer timeout with 6:17 in the third.

After play resumed, things just kept getting worse for ALAH.

The Lancers went cold from the floor, scoring just eight points in the quarter, and once Coller got back in the game with less than a minute in the quarter and the Lancers clinging to a 29-28 lead, the senior threw another turnover that eventually resulted in a Sage two-pointer, giving them the lead 30-29 at the end of the quarter.

“I guess I’m doing something wrong at halftime,” Moffett said. “We were good in the third quarter against Meridian, but the last two nights we have not been, and I can’t really put a finger on it. I don’t know if we are relaxing, or the other team is just coming out intense and ready to play. It is something that we will work on, and if anyone has any suggestions I will definitely listen to them.”

Seegmiller scored the first points of the final stanza on two free throws with 6:06 remaining to give the Lancers the lead. Monticello answered with a two, to which Seegmiller responded with two straight buckets. Following Monticello converting the front end of two free throws, Alex Miller downed two free throws, and Karly Goodman and Seegmiller scored a bucket apiece. Elyse Harris then converted two from the charity stripe to push the lead to 44-35 forcing a Monticello timeout.

Photo by Darian Hays
Karly Goodman tries to get to the ball Thursday evening.

When play resumed, Monticello kicked up the aggression and came back from the line to bring the game to 44-42. However, with 10.8 seconds left and Coller on the line for a one-and-one, it looked as if the Lancers would seal the deal.

But uncharacteristically, Coller, who missed the front end of a one-and-one earlier, missed again and the Sages pushed the ball down the court for one last chance.

With five seconds on the clock the Sages put up a 3-pointer that would have given them the win. From the left corner, as every person in the gym held their breath collectively, with four seconds left, the three-pointer from Monticello clanged off the far side of the rim and into the hands of Harris, who was fouled with one tenth of a second left.

Harris made the front end of her one-and-one, and AL-AH pulled through 45-42.

“It was an exciting game,” Moffett said. “I think Monticello will be a very good team. I think our girls made adjustments from yesterday and played with passion and as a team. It was a good team win. I think we are starting to come together a little bit now. It was good for us to come together and succeed against the adversity of these last few nights.”

The Lancers travelled to Shelbyville Monday, winning handsomely 51-25. They then travelled to Tuscola Tuesday. Due to our holiday deadlines, the story from Tuesday’s game will be available online only.

Stats for ALAH: E. Seegmiller:9-5-23, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals; K. Goodman: 4-1-9, 2 rebounds, 2 steals; A. Miller: 2-2-6, 3 rebounds, 3 assists; E. Harris: 0-3-3, 2 rebounds, 2 assists; S. Coller:1-1-4, 2 rebounds, 2 assists.