Brock Netter, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
JACKSON — For roughly five minutes of real time, Jackson’s bench was filled with anxiety, nerves, and a little bit of prayer.
CREDIT: Seth Fain/Fain Photography
McClain had been awarded two free throws with no time left in a tie game to, potentially, upset the Ironladies for the Tigers’ biggest win this season.
The first shot missed to the right and the second rolled around the rim for what felt like an eternity, only to fall away to the ground and send the game into overtime.
Filled with new life, the Ironladies (14-3, 9-0 FAC) converted seven free throws in the extra period to survive the upset attempt, taking a 45-39 victory and claiming back-to-back outright Frontier Athletic Conference championships.
“In the beginning of our season, after the very first workout, we wrote on our board that our goal was to go undefeated in the league and repeat as champions,” Jackson’s Mattie Walburn said. “To accomplish that goal of winning the title is amazing, and it’s better for us handling our business and not relying on anyone losing or winning to put us ahead.”
Jackson held less than a handful of leads throughout the night, oftentimes looking a little tight and feeling the pressure of clinching the crown.
McClain (6-13, 3-6 FAC) — on the other hand — knew it was playing with house money and played as freely as possible. Payton Pryor scored seven of the Tigers’ opening 12 points, helping them jump ahead to a 12-7 lead after the first quarter.
Despite the Ironladies’ offense not fully being in sync, they managed to piece together an 8-0 run and flip momentum to tie the game at 15-15. Pryor later split a pair of free throws, giving the Tigers a 16-15 lead at the break.
“We beat them earlier this season by double digits, but I told the girls that they weren’t afraid of us at all,” Jackson coach Matt Walburn said. “They’re such a well-coached team and [McClain coach] Jarrod [Haines] does such a phenomenal job with that program. They play so hard and I’ve been a fan of watching Payton Pryor play for four years, what a player she is.
“We were really bad offensively. Quick shots were taken, uncharacteristic shots were taken and things like that shouldn’t be happening with a team as experienced as we are. Nothing needed to be changed, we just had to play better.”
After hitting four 3’s in the first half, the Tigers continued to be in the driver’s seat for a portion of the third.
They lost the lead one time when Mattie Walburn connected on a baseline jumper for a 24-23 lead, only for Lily Barnes to respond on the other end, putting McClain back in front for the rest of the third, leading 27-26.
The Tigers remained ahead throughout the fourth, applying more pressure while still getting timely shots to fall at every turn.
They owned a 38-33 lead with less than two minutes left, and it appeared as the upset was about to happen.
But Jackson wasn’t going down without a fight.
Back-to-back buckets from Walburn and Kenzie Davis cut the lead to one point. McClain missed two free throws, then Jackson split a pair to tie the game.
The Tigers had a chance for the win at the buzzer, but missed both free throws to force the game into extra time.
“I was nervous, but praying so hard that we would go to overtime,” Mattie Walburn said. “That’s a tough spot to be in and those shots didn’t lose them the game at all. She’s a really good player who played a good game.”
Both teams attacked the rim in OT, but the difference was McClain threw up shots from six-to-eight feet out while Jackson kept getting to the free throw line.
T.J. Carpenter was the biggest beneficiary of the Ironladies’ strategy, knocking down four of her seven free throw attempts to help them claim a victory and the fifth conference title in school history.
“Last year was awesome to win for other seniors, but this one feels amazing considering we’re undefeated in the league,” Carpenter said. “We knew we needed this game, and McClain is tough. They had a great game plan and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. But it was definitely nice to win this one after dropping this game last season at their place.”
Carpenter finished with 20 points to lead Jackson, followed by Mattie Walburn with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Davis added 10 points.
For McClain, Barnes and Pryor each finished the night with nine points.
Jackson returns to action on Saturday at home against Waterford, while McClain rebounds on Wednesday at Unioto.
SPONSORED BY HOMELAND CREDIT UNION
