It was not raucous it was certainly lively but it was nothing that would blow the roof off of the SLCC gymnasium. The celebration at least, the game was a heart attack waiting to happen, the celebration was a recovery a great weight lifted off a team who had seen its share of heartbreaks.
When Judge high school hit a late three pointer to force overtime the resounding mood of the Skyline Eagle fans and jv players in the stands was how in the world can this happen, Again? Two times two times in the past four years had the Eagles traveled to this exact place and fallen short. How could this happen again? That was the thought of the fan though, the action on the court was different. As soon as that shot fell the mindset was nope, no way, we aren’t losing. “We aren’t messing this up again” it isn’t much of a rallying cry but it worked. Those were the words of Cameron Mooney after the semi finals game, this team had come this far before and lost it all that was not happening again.
To get to overtime though several things had to happen. Barret Jessop had to go 5-5 from behind the arch and put up 20 points, Hannah Andrel had to have 12 points 3 assists and 2 steals, and Cameron Mooney had to shut down the most massive women’s high school basketball player I have ever seen with 4 blocks. Aside from Mooney being a block party waiting to happen the Eagles put up what should be known from this day forth as the white wall. In the first half there was this impenetrable wall between the ball and the paint. It was man defense the best it has ever been played and it took the massive Vanessa Austin out of the first half. The first half was dominating from the Eagles and the same with the third quarter but before you have calm you must have a storm.
That storm was Vanessa Austin, the most impassioned high school player I have ever seen women’s or men’s basketball she just had, fire, in the second half. Austin finished with 22 points and 5 rebounds. A last second buzzer beater sent Judge to over time.
Let me start by saying this, I’m no basketball zar, but I believe I’m a pretty good observer of sports and what works and doesn’t in general. Women’s and Men’s high school basketball needs a shot clock in OT playoff games and within 2 minutes of the 4th of regular season games. Doesn’t have to be extra-short or 24 seconds, just a 45 second shot clock. Because without it you have Skyline basketballs winning defensive strategy in OT never give up the ball on offense. Is it a bad strategy? No its safe and legal and smart. Is it fun to watch and does it improve the integrity of the game? No it’s not fun to watch, it doesn’t give the opponent a fair chance to strike back, there’s no way to defend against it efficiently, and it forces a team to foul which slows the game down. Fouling is eventually what was resorted to though, but boy they picked the wrong player to foul.
Madison Grange is not a great shooter from the field. That’s a fact look at her stat lines from nearly every game this season she shoots at about an average of .370 from the field. Put grange at the line though and shes a dead eye shooting nearly 87 percent from the field this year. The same in the OT of the state championship game. 16 points 4-9 from the field but at the line 7-9, it’s not the shots you make its when you make them. Grange made the shots at the right time. To close out over time. “it feels so great to win this I have the best team mates, (for the free throws) I just focused shut everything out and made them but this was a team win.” Said grange after the game.
The celebration was teary eyed but the most emotional of all was athletic director Deb Bennet. Her final year at skyline and a championship delivered. The world is sad and divided sports heal that I mean, sometimes the world just needs a story book ending. For Juniors Grange and Kiana Eskelson though this is just the beginning, there thinking dynasty.
