(GIRLS) Luther College (Regina, SK) defeats Carson Graham in barn burner opener 'Spirit Game'
CARSON GRAHAM SR. GIRLS VS LUTHER COLLEGE (REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN)
Written by Larry Donohoe
This is the first time in the ‘No Regrets’ history that the Carson Graham Senior Girls Basketball program is hosting a “spirit game”. The gym is filling up and we have special guests from Braemar and Larson Elementary Schools in the house.
The Eagles welcome, from Regina, Saskatchewan, the Luther College Lions. If the pre-game festivities are not enough to get you pumped up, nothing will! The opening video still gets me every time; doesn’t matter how many times I see it, it’s an emotional reminder of the ‘No Regrets’ message. Luther won the tip. Yetunde Ogundieo from Luther opens the game with a three. Some nervous energy in the first few minutes as both teams feel each other out. Grade 10 Jessica Day opened the scoring for the Eagles. This girl has a bright future! After 5 minutes of play in a defensive battle so far, the Lions lead 3-2. The Eagles, who are not used to playing in front of big crowds, and the Lions are starting to settle down a bit. The athletic Luther team is started to flex their muscle taking an 11-8 lead after the first quarter.
Natalie Hamm from the Lions finished a smooth post move to open up the second. This young Eagles team is playing hard and staying in the game, answering back to make it 13-13 with 6:30 left in the second quarter. Emily Cross gave Carson Graham their first lead midway through the quarter. In the latter part of the second quarter, the game has slowed down a bit: both teams having to work hard to score. Carson Graham hangs on to narrow the lead 16-15. Luther and Carson Graham are both young squads. The Eagles exploded and went on an 11-0 run with Emily Cross hitting a buzzer beater three to close out the half. The halftime score: 24-15 Carson Graham.
The second half started like the first-quite slow. Luther went on 4-0 run to get the score back within 5 but Georgia Gemmell hits an And-one to restore an 8 point lead, 27-19. The teams in the second half of the third kept trading baskets as Carson Graham maintained a seven point lead, 31-24. Luther slowly chipped away at the Carson Graham lead with balanced scoring to get the score back to within three with less than a minute left in the quarter. After three quarters, Carson Graham 35, Luther College 32. Looks like we are going to have a barn burner in the fourth.
After Lauren Grey from Carson Graham hit one of two from the line, Luther answered back to make it a two point game. Rachel Vanderhooft (Luther) and Lauren Grey (Carson) traded baskets. The Eagles nursed a two point lead with just over six minutes left in the fourth. The question is, what young team is going to seal the deal? Neither team looked to take control down the stretch. These are two evenly matched teams. Ella Gidluck hit one of two from the line and then Natalie Hamm got a huge offensive rebound to give Luther a one point lead with 3:35 left in the fourth. This was their first lead since midway through the second. A breakaway lay-up by Carson’s Tessa Black gave the Eagles back the lead. Luther’s Ella Gidluck clutched up and hit two big penalty free throws to give the lead back to the Lions. After Luther took the lead, Cross from Carson Graham hits a lay-up to put the Eagles back within one with 45 seconds left. The foul line played a big role in the last two minutes. Turnovers in the end cost the young Eagles as Luther College squeeks by with a 46-44 win.