Lady Trojans fall victim to Rock Port in tourney finals

Nodaway-Holt's girls were responsible for only two of the 21 missed free throws in Friday night's tension-filled championship game of the Fairfax Tournament with second-seeded Rock Port.

Because of the timing, they turned out to be the two costliest.

Down by one with 38 seconds left, two-time all-state junior guard Megan Rosenbohm attempted Nodaway-Holt's only two free throws of the game and missed both, preventing the Trojans from either tying or taking the lead which they held less than a minute before.

Nodaway-Holt got the ball back down by two, but failed to get off a quality look, allowing Rock Port to celebrate a 38-36 win on a night where the Blue Jays clanged 19 of their 31 free throw attempts.

The Lady Trojans, who beat Rock Port twice earlier this year, would've taken that over being just 0-2.

Nodaway-Holt head coach David Carroll responded with a "no comment" when asked about the 31-2 disparity in free throw attempts.

The combination of that and second chance points derailed Nodaway-Holt's spirited second half comeback bid after being down as many as 10 in the third quarter.

Rock Port's Leslie Kirkland-Larsen scored the go-ahead basket on a follow with 1:20 left, her second of the fourth quarter and fourth of the half.

"It killed us,' said Carroll of Rock Port's work on the offensive glass. "That's what beat us. We just let them have way too many baskets right under. Some of that was penetration and some we just absolutely did not block out."

The Lady Trojans (11-3) also scored a tournament-low 36 points, producing just four in the first quarter and 11 in the first half.

Rosenbohm, who averages 22.4 points, tied her season-low with eight.

She was bothered by a shoulder injury suffered late in Wednesday's 47-40 semifinal win over Tarkio.

"The doctor said I strained it," said Rosenbohm. "It was kind of sore. The trainer said it was okay to shoot on it. I was just kind of hesitant to use it and everything."

Rock Port head boys/girls coach Jim Skillen acknowledged Rosenbohm's injury when discussing their ability to contain her.

"I don't think she was 100 percent," said Skillen. "I want to give credit for that. I think her shoulder was bothering her. We ran a zone with a shade to her, so when she caught the ball there was somebody there the whole time. And we doubled her when we had a chance."

Nodaway-Holt's top offensive performer was junior guard Kalli Devers. She spearheaded Nodaway-Holt's second half resurgence with three of her four three-pointers and finished with a team-high 14 points.

"She was big," said Carroll. "With Kalli, when she gets to going, she gets to going. That was really big for us. It got us back in the game and then got us the lead."

Krysta Beattie matched Rosenbohm's total with eight points. Amanda O'Riley kicked in four.

Rock Port's penetrating junior guard Taya Lewls led all scorers with 15 points. She was by far the Blue Jays' steadiest hand at the line, hitting on 7-9 free throws. Three of those came in the fourth quarter.

"She's tough," said Carroll. "She goes to the hoop well. Her first step is really quick. It gave us some problems."

Leslie Kirkland-Larsen finished with 11 points, but was just 1-11 at the foul line. Lacy Kirkland-Larsen went 1-5.

Allison Lawrence scored six points and split four free throws in the fourth quarter.

"It would've been nice to make make some free throws, but part of that is whose shooting them and when," said Skillen. "We have three girls that shoot free throws pretty well. Everybody else struggles a little bit at the line."

A two-win team last year, Rock Port (10-4) trailed once through the first three quarters at 4-2 and led by as many as nine in the first half.

Both teams went scoreless over the final five minutes of the first quarter, leading to a 4-4 tie.

Rock Port went in front to stay until the fourth quarter on the first of consecutive putbacks that made it 10-6.

The Blue Jay lead got to 17-8 on a free throw by freshman Jade Lemmon with 40 seconds left.

Devers answered with Nodaway-Holt's first three of the game to make it 17-11.

Two free throws by Lewis sent Rock Port to the half up 19-11.

Nodaway-Holt made just 3-18 shots in the second quarter and was 5-26 in the first half.

"We struggled all night from the field except for Kalli," said Carroll. "We just couldn't hit all night."

A follow by Leslie Kirkland-Lewis to open the third quarter gave Rock Port its largest lead of 21-11.

That's when the Trojans finally got it going.

Dever nailed a three at the other end to begin a run of seven straight points that made it 21-18.

Nodaway-Holt pulled within two later in the quarter on two quick baskets from Beattie and O'Riley that came off Blue Jay turnovers. A steal and layup by Rosenbohm in the closing seconds made it 26-24.

"I thought defensively the first couple of possessions we didn't have the intensity we had and then No. 10 (Devers) made two or three quick three's," said Skillen. "She's our second cover. We knew she was going to get some looks. We just hoped she wasn't going to make them. She did right there to start the second half."

The Trojans grabbed the lead 22 seconds into the fourth quarter on another Devers three.

Nodaway-Holt's one-point lead held until O'Riley scored to make it 29-26 with under 4:30 left.

Devers' fourth three staked the Trojans to a 32-27 lead.

Rock Port scored the next five points, three on Lewis free throws to tie it at 32.

She hit the first two in a one-and-one situation with the Blue Jays down three.

The game was tied again at 34 when Rosenbohm followed her own miss to put the Trojans back up two.

A free throw by Leslie Kirkland-Larsen made it 36-35 with 1:40 left.

Nodaway-Holt turned it over on its next possession, and Leslie Kirkland-Larsen put the Jays in front with a stick-back of a shot by Lewis.

After Rosenbohm was whistled for an offensive foul, Lacy Kirkland-Larsen missed a pair of free throws.

Rosenbohm grabbed the loose ball under the basket and raced to the other end, drawing a shooting foul that sent her to the line.

She missed the first and then the second. Leslie Kirkland-Larsen secured the rebound amidst heavy traffic.

"As soon as they left my hand, I knew they weren't going in," said Rosenbohm.

After a near turnover and a timeout, Rock Port inbounded the ball underneath its own hoop to Lawrence.

She was fouled with 11 seconds left and made the second of two free throws.

Nodaway-Holt eschewed a timeout and pushed the ball up the court.

O'Riley had it in the corner, passed it out front and Rosenbohm was forced to take a rushed shot that never drew iron from three.

"We played them twice before and they clubbed us like a baby seal," said Skillen. "We have gotten significantly better since then. That coupled with maybe Megan not being 100 percent and it closed the gap."

The Trojans and Blue Jays could meet a fourth time in the Class 1 District Tournament.

Nodaway-Holt's next game is Tuesday with Union Star. They host North Nodaway Friday.