Mayflower rally decks Episcopal
MAYFLOWER 48, EPISCOPAL COLLEGIATE 47
Kamiah Turner’s first three-point basket, with time ticking down in the second quarter, gave Mayflower a halftime lead over Episcopal Collegiate on Friday night in the semifinals of the 3A Region 3 Tournament.
Turner’s second threepoint basket, again with time winding down and her team trailing by two, gave the Lady Eagles a 48-47 victory and a spot in this afternoon’s regional championship game against Atkins.
Turner’s basket capped a frantic Mayflower rally from an eight-point deficit in the final two minutes at Episcopal’s gym.
Turner — a 5-11 senior center known for her defense, rebounding and all-around inside play — said shooting three-pointers is something she knows she can do if it’s necessary.
“They always come in when I need them,” Turner said. “I’m not afraid to take it, even if I haven’t been on all night. When I need it, I know it’s there for me.”
Mayflower (22-5) still had to withstand one more Episcopal possession, and the Lady Wildcats had two shots slip off the rim in the final 4.6 seconds.
“I trust my teammates,” Turner said. “They always play hard. They’re always rallying behind me, and I’m always rallying behind them.”
Turner’s three-pointer capped a 9-0 Mayflower finish in the final two minutes, a rally that started after Coach Coty Storms called timeout with his team trailing 46-38.
“To be where we were at, in the situation we were in, we’re not a pressing team,” Storms said. “Everybody that watches us will tell you that. Just had to change something up, go a little different.”
A three-point basket from the left corner by Karley Brown made it 46-41 with 1:54 to play, and it was followed by consecutive turnovers that Lady Eagles Breykayla Davis and Jenna McMillan turned into layups to make it 46-45 Episcopal with 1:03 left.
Episcopal worked time off the clock before Avery Sponsler was fouled and went to the line with 54.5 seconds left. She made 1 of 2 to give Episcopal a 47-45 lead, and Storms called timeout with 47.9 seconds to map out the final play.
Mayflower worked the ball around, trying to find a crease in the Lady Wildcats’ defense, with McMillan darting in and out of traffic while pursued by Avery Marsh, who held McMillan to four shots from the floor and 10 points.
McMillan found Turner near the top of the key, and she never hesitated.
“We knew she could shoot it,” Episcopal Coach Micah Marsh said. “We just lost her there twice. That’s something we’ve got to fix. But she still had to step up and make the shot. Two things had to happen there. It was a big shot. They stepped up and hit big shots when they needed to.”
Marsh said he would turn his attention to today’s noon matchup with Lamar to determine the district’s No. 3 seed for next week’s state tournament at Clinton.
“We played good enough to win, until the last minute and a half,” Micah Marsh said. “Got a little careless with the ball. … They hit some big shots when it mattered, they got some steals. It’s tough to lose that way. At tournament time, you just got to take care of the ball.”
Episcopal was led by Riley Brady’s 15 points and 8 rebounds.
Avery Marsh, the coach’s daughter, scored 14 points, including 10 in the second half while not letting McMillan get out of her eyesight.
Storms said he was proud of his Lady Eagles, who hasn’t lost since Jan. 8 and have won 17 consecutive games.
“We can’t be satisfied,” Storms said. “We’ve got to get one more.”
ATKINS 48, LAMAR 37
Abbi Grace Cunningham, Ashton Dillard and Lindsey Cox combined for 37 points, and Atkins was in control after building a 10-2 first-quarter lead against Lamar.
Cunningham finished with 15 while Dillard and Cox scored 11 points each.
Morgan Cochran led Lamar with 11, including 3 three-pointers.