Game #2 scheduled for Thursday, March 22 at 1 p.m.
Story By: Spencer Gleason
Sports Editor
Despite taking a 27-25 lead into halftime, the Lady Archers fell to the Thunderbirds from Mesa Community College, 65-61, in the first round of the NJCAA Women’s Division II National Tournament.
Youth did not seem to know any bounds, as the young Archer squad, that carries 12 freshman and two sophomores on their roster, jumped out to an early 4-0 lead. They followed with a 7-0 run, with just over 13 minutes left in the first half, to give them an 11-8 lead.
The Archers then went on an 11-0 run, extending their lead by ten, 25-15, with 6:22 left in the first half.
“[We got a couple leads] at the beginning of the game,” Shelly Ethridge, Archer head coach said, following the loss. “At the end of the game, though, our youthfulness really showed. I think the inexperience played a part. Not having that experience- that’ll eventually show up. Especially there at the end is where a lot of our turnovers came and crucial [missed] free throws came.”
After falling back 46-36, in the second half, the Lady Archers managed to tighten the game up with 8:04 left, climbing within one point of the No. 5 seeded Thunderbirds, 51-50.
However ultimately, it was the missed opportunities that came back to haunt them.
“We lost by four. We missed six free throws [at the end],” Ethridge said. “Free throws are free points and they can determine the outcome of a game.”
The Lady Archers will play the No. 13 seeded Chesapeake College Skipjacks Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m.
The Skipjacks from Wye Mills, Maryland, who lost to No. 4 Louisburg, 86-66, in their first round match up, averaged 71.7 points per game during the regular season.
“I hope [our fans] are proud of their team,” Ethridge said. “I thought our girls played really hard. I thought they kept fighting. They definitely did not give up. We aren’t finished here. We hope to do some damage before we’re done.”
