Collinsville had the ball and a one-point lead with 25 seconds remaining Saturday, when an Alton player fell down along the baseline. The lead official looked back at the girl on the floor and Lajarvia Brown muscled into the Lady Kahoks’ Aubreeney Brady near midcourt, snatched the ball, and sprinted in for an uncontested layup to put the Lady Redbirds up 45-44 with 22 seconds remaining.
Violet Fletcher, bottom right, watching the Lady Kahoks play Alton on Feb. 15, 2014
Gabby Morgan / Photo by Roger Starkey
Collinsville Head Coach Lori Billy said the play was a missed call. “He’s the lead ref running down the floor. He’s got to be on that call,” Billy said.
Despite the controversial call, the Lady Kahoks had a chance to tie or take the lead when Aubreeney Brady went to the free throw line with 13.9 seconds remaining. For the second time in a week, Brady missed the front end of a late one-and-one.
The Lady Kahoks grabbed the offensive rebound, missed a shot, grabbed another offensive rebound, worked the ball to Julie Scheiter who put up a runner at the buzzer that circled the rim, dipped in for a fraction of a second and then bounced out, sending Collinsville to its fourth consecutive defeat.
Setting up the frantic finish was a 12-point, second-half comeback by Alton (7-7 Southwestern Conference, 14-12). Collinsville (5-9 SWC, 9-14) took advantage of the Lady Redbirds’ zone defense to the tune of four first quarter 3-pointers and built a 16-9 lead.
Despite missing their first eight shot of the second quarter and not scoring until 3 minutes 46 seconds remained in the period, Collinsville extended its lead to 12 going into the half. The Lady Kahoks used a late 7-0 run and took advantage of 13 Alton first-half turnovers to go into halftime with a 26-14 advantage.
Collinsville went 1-9 from beyond the arc, and made only six field goals, in the second half to allow Alton to creep back into the game. The Lady Redbirds went 3-8 from 3-point range in the third quarter to outscore Collinsville 18-9 in the period and enter the final stanza trailing by two points (35-33).
Billy said her team played poorly and lacked focus, allowing Alton to get back into the game.
“We had them down, we talked about the fact that we had to put the gas on, to keep going at them to try to bury them,” Billy said. “We just gave it to them.”
Alton took a 38-37 lead with 6:30 to go in the game, its first lead since 6:06 remained in the first quarter. However, the Lady Kahoks did not surrender, fighting back to take 44-41 lead with 3:30 remaining on a Samantha Buettner 3-pointer.
Still clinging to the three-point lead, the lead official called a foul on Scheiter for pushing Jordann Wilson. Billy said Wilson initiated the contact. “Two minutes left on the clock and we’re up three and he calls that?” Billy said.
Wilson made both free throws to set up the final frantic minute.
Collinsville scores were: Buettner-13, Smith-8, Scheiter-6, Thompson-5, Brady-5, Brombolich-3, Morgan-2.
Jasmine Bishop’s 14 lead Alton.
Prior to the game, the Lady Kahoks recognized Violet Fletcher – the widow of legendary coach Vergil Fletcher – who was in the crowd watching the game. Billy and the Collinsville players all went to her seat to greet her deliver flowers.
Collinsville begins Regional play with a 6 p.m. contest Tuesday against O’Fallon at Belleville East High School. Collinsville is 1-1 on the year against O’Fallon.
