4th-seeded Northern Heights girls stun nemesis Osage City
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Saturday, March 1, 2008
The Northern Heights Ladycats got a victory over Osage City when it mattered the most, as the fourth-seeded Ladycats upended top-seeded Osage City, 40-35, Friday night at the Class 3A Sub-State in Wellsville.
Osage City had defeated Northern Heights in the two teams’ three previous meetings this season, but Friday’s victory for Northern Heights put them into the Sub-State championship game for a chance to earn a berth in the State Tournament while the loss for Osage City ended the Lady Indians’ season.
“They (Osage City) are a good basketball team, but we told our girls to come out and play like they had nothing to lose, and they just came out and played really well and executed really well as a team,” Heights coach Tim Riemann said. “It was pretty sweet for our girls to get this win.”
The Ladycats (14-8) were able to come away with the victory thanks to a strong fourth quarter that saw them outscore the Lady Indians, 16-11. With the game tied at 24 heading into the final frame, Riemann said a couple baskets underneath by Sarah Boline and Amy Boline helped Heights gain some separation.
Heights also got the job done at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, going 6-for-8 from the foul stripe.
Sarah Boline led all scorers with 17 points. No other Heights player scored more than six, but seven Ladycats scored in all.
“The whole team played well,” Riemann said. “It was one of our better games of the year.”
Heights will play No. 2-seeded Jayhawk-Linn at 6 tonight in Wellsville in the Sub-State title game. That game will be followed by the Northern Heights boys facing off against Erie in the boys Sub-State title game.
Heights 40, Osage City 35
Friday at Wellsville
Osage City 9 8 7 11 — 35
NH 8 9 7 16 — 40
Osage City (16-6) — Katie Schroeder 11, Kady Paul 7, Kelsey Sturdy 2, Paige Fort 3, Carly Spicer 12.
No. Heights (14-8) — Tess Hobson 4, Amy Lee 5, Andrea Miller 6, Amy Boline 4, Alex DeLong 2, Sarah Boline 17, Leann Baird 2.
Halftime — Tied at 17. Total fouls — OC 18, NH 19. Fouled out — NH: A. Boline.