By CHRIS RANDAZZO
of The Gazette
Weyauwega-Fremont just seems to have the Amherst girls basketball team's number this year. The Falcons (11-7 overall, 9-5 CWC large) dropped a heartbreaker at home to the Indians, 60-57, in overtime, on Tuesday, Feb. 5.
Earlier in the year the Falcons lost by one point at Weyauwega-Fremont in a game where their apparently-game-winning-last-second shot was ruled to have come after time expired.
"The girls stepped up to the plate today and wanted the game bad enough, we just fell short," said Amherst coach Shelli Haferbecker.
The Falcons seemed to be in control for most of the game. They started the first quarter on a 12-4 run before the Indians bounced back with a run of their own, tying the game at 12 with 2:30 left in the first quarter.
Amherst finished the quarter on a 6-0 spurt, using good ball movement to find open shots. Haferbecker credited those open looks to Weyawega-Fremont's attempts to control center Molly Simkins.
"I expected them to sag in low and take away her shots down low. They stayed with their game plan that they were going to stick in low. Molly did a great job of passing out and finding open shooters," she said.
The Indians plan worked pretty well though as Simkins was held to three first-quarter points and sat out the second quarter with foul trouble.
Weyauwega-Fremont capitalized on Simkins absence, closing to within two at 24-22 with 2:08 to go in the half. However, Amherst ended the half on a burst and the Falcons had a 27-22 lead at the end of two.
It looked like the Falcons might run away with the game as they controlled the early part of the second half and had a six-point lead, at 37-31, with 2:30 to go left in the third quarter. That lead came on the backs of Lyndsey Allen, who had a pair of three-pointers, and Jamie Krutza, who scored on a pair of tough drives to the basket.
The Indians weren't done though and it was their turn to go on a run, outscoring the Falcons 5-1, to narrow the lead to two, at 38-36, at the end of three.
Both teams struggled at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Indians were able to capitalize on some Amherst mistakes and tie the game at 42 with four minutes left in the fourth. "We had a tough spurt there where we turned the ball over a few times and that really hurt us," said Haferbecker.
Both teams continued to struggle offensively the rest of the way, but the Indians hit a three-pointer with 1:26 to go to take their first lead of the game. From that point on they did their best to play keep-away whenever they had the ball. "We didn't have enough fouls up there so we really had to burn time trying to get fouls," said Haferbecker.
By the time Amherst was able to get Weyauwega-Fremont into the bonus, there was only 14.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter and, when the Indian's Joanna Sharafinski made both free throws to put them ahead 49-46, the game seemed over.
However, a long three-point shot by Krutza, which brought the crowd to life sent the game into overtime and seemed to hand the Falcons the momentum they needed to finally put the Indians away.
It wasn't to be though as Weyauwega-Fremont was able to steal that momentum back after scoring off an Amherst turnover to take the lead, 53-52, with 2:34 left in the game. Once they had the lead back, they were again able to play keep-away and made a number of clutch free throws to seal the victory.
"Weyauwega showed up to play a really good ball game and we showed up to play as well. The competition that they gave us and the magnitude of the game is going to help us out in our second season," said Haferbecker.
Krutza led the team with 20 points and Lyndsey Allen added 12. Molly Simkins and freshman Margo Borgen each scored eight.