Lady 'Hounds falter down the stretch

Senior Amber Winfrey (21) drove to the hole to bring the Lady Greyhounds back within two points of LaMonte to start the second quarter.

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"It's been pretty much the same every game," remarked Sweet Springs' head girls' basketball coach Thursday following a 46-40 non-conference loss at LaMonte. "We're ahead in the fourth quarter, but don't have the stuff to finish."

The Lady Greyhounds twice rallied from six-point deficits, only to squander opportunities to extend their slim leads by getting away from those things which worked for them -- like driving to the hole, feeding the low post and clearing the defensive glass.

"We do just enough goofy things to kill us," Jones said. "Then we'll look like we know how to play for a few minutes."

Points were at a premium for two squads which both shot well under 30 percent from the field, the difference being the Lady Vikings' ability to convert from the free-throw line -- sinking 20 of 26 attempts, including nine of 11 during the final frame.

It wasn't until late in the second period that either team could assert some control. Sweet Springs had stretches of six and seven minutes between goals, but only trailed by two points until junior Beth Taylor took a steal to the hole and juniors Morgan Martin and Christy Butts hit mid-range jumpers during the final three minutes of the half.

"We shot the ball terrible," noted Jones after watching his team miss 21 of 26 first-half tries from the floor, including seven three-point bricks. "We have some kids who don't want to shoot the ball, but have to."

The Lady 'Hounds came back during the third quarter, getting a pair of three-point plays -- from senior Leslie Keesaer on an offensive rebound and senior Jaime Vickrey by posting up on the block. Keesaer's baseline jumper and a Vickrey layup tied the score, but LaMonte answered with six straight points.

Junior Andrea Greer got loose inside, Keesaer drove for a bucket and free throw, sophomore Kara Kreisel connected down low and Vickrey sank two charity shots to put Sweet Springs in front for the first time since early in the game.

The lead changed hands on penetrations by Taylor and senior Amber Winfrey with 2:44 left in the game. After allowing only six offensive rebounds for only two points through three stanzas, the Lady 'Hounds lost command of the defensive boards down the stretch. Butts got two freebies and junior Sarah Guier a stick-back to put the Lady Vikings ahead by three with 1:35 to go.

"We screened out and didn't catch the ball when it came to us," Jones said. "If we don't drop those rebounds, we win the game."

Kreisel made a follow shot, but sophomore Leesa Bybee sank two charities with 53.2 seconds remaining. Sweet Springs missed four shots and turned the ball over once the rest of the way, two Bybee free throws with 33.4 seconds left clinching the victory for LaMonte (5-4).

Vickrey had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Keesaer added 10 points for the Lady Greyhounds (2-4), who have been out-scored during the fourth quarter in five of six games this season.

"It's up to them to perform in the fourth quarter and not just three," Jones declared. "That's the tale of our season. We've got to find some mental toughness."