At their home opener on December 5, the Newport girls’ basketball team overcame a nine-point hole early in the third period to outscore the Midd-West Mustangs 23-12 in the second half (9-2 in the fourth) and salvage a 44-38 victory.
It seems that the Lady Buffs were prepared for their first opponent thanks to all of the extra shooting drills, special plays, and Saturday practices. Senior point guard Megan Foltz discussed the Mustangs’ third-quarter advantage, saying, “We calmed down and didn’t panic (like they have sometimes done in the past).” Gracyn Shutt, a senior forward, said that both the early lead and the additional preparation boosted our confidence.
Shutt joked, “We tried not to think too much.” The team’s younger players also took a big stride forward. But with 17 points and 7 steals, Shutt stood out above the rest. Foltz had eight rebounds and five points.
IN SEARCH OF THE SHOT The Lady Buffalo Megan Foltz gets ready to take a shot over a defender. (Photo by Craig Baughman)Times of Perry County
Junior Jordan Briggs and Shutt gave Newport an 11-6 lead at one point in the first quarter, which concluded with Midd-West ahead 14-12. Freshman Jillian Zerbe scored the game’s first two points to make her varsity debut.
The Mustangs increased their lead by one point to 24-21 at the half after both teams struggled with mistakes and went a bit cold in the second session.
Despite starting the second stanza with a more aggressive defense, Newport initially trailed 30–21. Head coach Ed Geyer said, “It looked like we might have been a little depressed then.” However, following a timeout, we began to develop more effective ways to counter their flex offense. As the game went on, we kind of learned on the fly and eventually got our press to work. When Foltz and sophomore guard Emma Whisler made three point plays within a minute of one another late in the third, bringing the Lady Buffs back to within 36-35 at the end of three periods, Geyer said he could feel the momentum and intensity shift. Whisler scored seven points throughout the evening.
Then, to start the fourth quarter with Newport ahead 37-36, senior forward Brooke Arnold made her only basket of the evening, but it was a pivotal one. After that, sophomore guard Peyton Keller-Brandt scored twice in a row to put the home team ahead 40-36. With her final two baskets, Shutt ended the game and the scoring for the 44-38 victory. To guarantee the lead was maintained, Newport used a quasi-four corners offense in the final three minutes.
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