Semoball

Murphy's clutch three-pointer pushes Saxony Lutheran to overtime, win over Sikeston

Saxony Lutheran's Maddox Murphy gets set to shoot a three-pointer against Sikeston, on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020, at the Sikeston Field House.
Alex Wallner/Standard Democrat

SIKESTON — With just a few seconds left in regulation, Saxony Lutheran didn’t have a whole lot of time to make a decision after Sikeston sophomore Karris Allen made both of her free-throw attempts.

Trailing by three points, the game had to come down to a perimeter shot, which the Crusaders got after junior Maddox Murphy drilled a three-pointer from the right-wing — her fourth on the night. Her shot sent the game into overtime and the Crusaders’ bench into happiness. At the same time, turned Sikeston’s to disgust after giving up a double-digit lead with just under five minutes left in regulation, in the Lady Bulldogs 75-68 overtime loss on Monday at the Sikeston Field House.

After Saxony Lutheran (7-3) inbounded the ball, Murphy found herself with an open-look at the rim, and after the ball left her fingertips, everyone on the Crusaders’ bench knew the result.

“We all kind of knew, as soon as it left, that it was in,” Murphy said. “That was exciting for us because we’ve been working hard. We haven’t played since the Christmas Tournament, so we didn’t know what to expect.”

Saxony Lutheran owned the latter stages of the fourth quarter and ended up outscoring Sikeston (3-6) 27-16 in the period.

Murphy hit three of her four three-pointers in the fourth and got hot at the right time. She finished with 16 points, on 6 of 14 shooting, and was four rebounds shy of a double-double, with six.

Sikeston had the game in its hands from the second quarter, where the Lady Bulldogs outscored the Crusaders 21-10, until the middle of the fourth.

Momentum was not on the Crusaders’ side, but Saxony Lutheran coach Sam Sides said that the reason for the end was due to putting pressure on Sikeston.

“We got out-hustled most of that game,” Sides said. “We got behind, we battled, and we finally made some shots, and that made a big difference. We got a little confidence, and I think they got a little bit shook because we made shots that we weren’t making earlier. They got to the point where they were trying not to lose as opposed to trying to win the game.”

A young team, Sikeston, showed it’s youth down the stretch.

With a head full of steam and driving right to the basket with a purpose, there was nothing Saxony Lutheran could do to defend Sikeston’s ability to drive and create easy shots.

However, at the end of the game, Sikeston coach Alisha Wills said that her team strayed away from that and “let off the gas.”

“We had a weakness in one spot in our defense, and they capitalized on it,” Wills said. “That’s what gave them the edge and brought them back to being so close to us. Being mentally tough is something that we’ve talked a lot about. I think that sometimes, our youth shows because we’re not at that stage of being mentally tough. I think that we surprise a lot of people.

“We knew we were a different team going into the game tonight than we were the first time that we saw them. The only answer that I have for the difference is that we just became complacent and quit taking the ball to the hole.”

Sikeston's Taydrianna Barnett draws a foul while shooting against Saxony Lutheran, on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020, at the Sikeston Field House.
Alex Wallner/Standard Democrat

Dominant in-the-paint, Sikeston scored 44 points in that area, led by senior Taydrianna Barnett.

Barnett finished with 30 points, 24 of which came in the paint. She also neared a double-double, with eight rebounds.

Driving right at the defense can get the opposition off guard, and for Sikeston to be successful, that is something they have to do on a nightly basis, which Wills emphasized.

“We attack the basket,” Wills said. “Our speed, athleticism is something that affords us those opportunities. Whenever we get the chance to take it to the hole, that’s what they’re going to do. It’s the equivalent of a barrel-racing horse. When they get to that gate, they’re going to go, and when these girls get the ball in their hands, they’re going to go. It’s just what they know.”

With every game Saxony Lutheran plays, senior Emma Brune is typically the primary target.

On Monday, Brune finished with a team-high 21 points, but only had nine through three quarters.

At the end of the first half, Brune went on a personal 5-0 run, ending Sikeston’s 9-0 run that grew the Lady Bulldogs lead to double-digits.

Brune got into the lane and was able to draw a foul while converting her shot for an and-one, and then created a turnover and finished at the other end to send the Crusaders into halftime down by eight points, 32-24.

“We weren’t keying on her; we just did a better job of shutting down her penetration in the third,” Wills said. “We talked about how she is their leader and dictates what happens on the floor with that team.”

Despite not scoring in the whole third quarter, Brune was able to leave an impact, especially in the fourth.

Trailing by four points, Brune got into the heart of the Sikeston defense, drew another foul, and made the following free-throw for another and-one, to cut the Lady Bulldogs lead to one point, before Allen’s two free-throws.

A pair of other Saxony Lutheran individuals joined Brunne and Maddox with double-figures in scoring. Senior Olivia Spanley had 13 points and eight rebounds, while fellow senior Makayla Mueller had 10, on 3 of 9 shooting.

Allen was the other Lady Bulldog to reach double-figures, as she finished with 21, on 7 of 17 shooting.

Sikeston has now dropped the last 10 games to Saxony Lutheran.

Scoring

Saxony Lutheran141011271375
Sikeston11211416668

SAXONY LUTHERAN (75) — Emma Brune 21, Maddox Murphy 16, Olivia Spanley 13, Makayla Mueller 10, Alice Hogendobler 8, Sydney Turner 7. FG 27, FT 12-18, F 20. (3-pointers: Murphy 4, Mueller 3, Turner, Hogendobler. Fouled out: Spanley)

SIKESTON (68) — Taydrianna Barnett 30, Karris Allen 21, Amyari Blissett 7, Armani Hodges 6, Nayla Bonner 2, Camryn Self 2. FG 26, FT 13-22, F 20. (3-pointers: Barnett, Blissett, Allen. Fouled out: none)

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