During a timeout, Perryville girls basketball coach Angela Fulton drew up a play for what she called “a wide-eyed” Ciara Ehlers in the waning minute.
The junior guard came through in the clutch.
With Perryville down one point, Ehlers swished a three-pointer with 15 seconds left to put sixth-seed Perryville ahead for the eventual 52-48 victory over second seed Potosi in the opening round of the Fredericktown Tournament on Monday.
“What people didn’t see was the face I got when I told her she was going to make that shot,” Fulton said. “For her to have the confidence to still take the shot shows you just where our team is right now.”
The three-pointer was part of a game-closing 8-1 run that produced the first win of the season for the Lady Pirates.
“That first win always gets that weight off your shoulders,” Fulton said. “It feels good but you have to give it up to Potosi as well. Both teams played hard.”
However the victory didn’t come easy for the Lady Pirates.
Kyla Schnurbusch, who led all scorers with 22 points and added six steals, started the fourth quarter with a pair of baskets in the lane to give Perryville a 44-39 lead. That lead didn’t last long as Perryville, who was plagued by turnovers all night, was forced into one as Potosi’s Kya Gibson stole the ball after Perryville had seemingly secured a rebound.
That basket started what turned into a 7-0 Potosi spurt that culminated with a three-pointer by Kaden Gibson that gave the Lady Trojans the lead with 1:30 left in the game.
Pirate sophomore Rachel Riney broke the run with a drive to the basket narrowing the Trojan lead to one point at 47-46 lead with one minute left. Then misery struck the Pirates as Schnurbusch fouled out with 53 second remaining after tying the game on a free throw.
“I have to give the credit to Leah Buerck who brought the ball up after she fouled out,” Fulton said. “That’s the importance of having seniors on the floor in moments like that.”
The Schnurbusch foul produced one point at the line, before the decisive three-pointer from Ehlers, which was her first basket since the first quarter.
Ehlers first quarter outburst, which included 11 of the Pirates 14 points in the opening quarter kept Perryville in the game, despite nine first quarter turnovers. Perryville had 16 turnovers in the first half and more than 30 in the game.
“That’s something that we have to do better with this season,” Fulton said. “At ties we played a little bit out of control and it hurt us. We have to be more patient on offense.”
Ehlers got some help from her teammates in the second quarter as Schnurbusch completed a three-point play and hit a shot beyond the arc after Potosi built their largest lead of 23-17 with two minutes before halftime. Buerck, who had 12 points in the game also hit two three-pointers in the quarter that helped Perryville trail 28-27 at the break.
Potosi was led by Carly Hampton who had 14 points and seven rebounds, while Gibson added 12 points.
Perryville will play Arcadia Valley today, but for Fulton she was just happy to get back on the court.
“We are thankful for every game we get this season,” Fulton said. “no matter the outcome.”
