The IMS girls basketball team faced an in your face Prince of Peace team in the second round of the regional playoffs, and won the game in three overtimes 45-36.
IMS and Prince of Peace both started the game struggling to get any shots off, as both defenses were stout. The Irish led after one 7-5, and got out to a five point lead in the second quarter, but IMS drove back and took at 14-12 lead at half. That is the last quarter that anyone would see the lead after a quarter for 28 minutes.
Both teams tied after three 23-23, and in the fourth quarter were tied going into the final minute. Prince of Peace ran a stall game to run the clock out and get the last shot, but threw the ball away, and IMS had a chance to win in it with three seconds to go. The buzzer beater wouldn’t go, so we saw overtime No. 1.
IMS got out to a quick three point lead after Riley Schmieder drove to the hoop, made the shot with the foul, and went to the line and converted the old fashioned three-point-play. The Irish came down the court and scored one bucket of their own to be down by one, and then had another chance, was fouled and missed the shot. Jackie Kokjohn missed her first free throw, but made the second. Prince of Peace once again got the ball back with about a minute left, wasted the clock down to 11 seconds and called a timeout to draw up the play, but ended up throwing it out of bounds. IMS took a last second shot that was no good.
In the second overtime, nothing was falling for either team, as IMS got two free throws from Kristin Davis, and the Irish got a bucket from Halee Vicks to tie the game at 33, and take it into the third overtime period.
IMS was tired of playing the tie game at this point, as Olivia Yutzy drove to the basket, and made the only shot from the field for IMS. IMS was in the double bonus as well, which they exploited by driving to the basket and getting fouled, and going 9-10 from the free throw line in the third overtime. Prince of Peace could only muster three points in the third overtime, and IMS was moving on.
After the game IMS head coach Aaron Gingerich talked about his teams drive as the game kept getting longer.
“I thought our girls showed a lot of heart to hang in there after a couple of overtimes, and I looked in their eyes and it looked like we still had some fights in us, and I think the key is that we stayed out of foul trouble, so we got to have our main group on the court,” Gingerich said. “Olivia got us going in that third overtime, we kind of cleared out for her and she got a bucket, and to get the lead there was just huge to give us some momentum, and then four or five players were able step up and knock down some free throws for us to finish.”
IMS was led by Schmieder with 14, while Olivia Yutzy had 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Davis added nine points.
IMS moves on to face Winfield-Mt. Union on Friday, at Winfield.