DELHI - There's no better moment in basketball: Game tied, clock winding down, player lets a shot go just as the buzzer sounds.
Nothing but net.
It happened just like that Tuesday night at Delhi District Secondary School, where Kendra Freund made a buzzer beater in front of the hometown fans to give the Delhi Raiders senior girls a 38-36 victory over the Simcoe Sabres. It was a dramatic close to a game that deserved just that type of finish, as Delhi and Simcoe went toe-to-toe right from the start.
“I didn't know how much time was left on the clock, all I know was everyone in the building was yelling at me to shoot it, so I shot it,” Freund said.
The winning bucket capped off an eight-point comeback in the final four minutes for Delhi. Freund was at the centre of it all, scoring eight of her game-high 14 points in the fourth quarter. Corrie Cowell had a big game as well, pouring in 11, and point guard Morgan King was the main cog in a Delhi attack that consistently beat the Simcoe press.
That eight-point Simcoe lead was the largest of the game, with the second biggest gap occurring right off the hop when the Sabres jumped out to a 7-0 cushion. The Raiders responded with 10 straight points of their own, and the teams played virtually dead even through the next three quarters.
Delhi led 14-11 after one and 20-19 at the half before Simcoe took a 27-25 lead into the final frame. The visitors poured it on to open the fourth though, led by Jenna Schott and her 11 points.
Delhi seemed to be panicking a little as SCS built a 35-27 lead. But the Raiders regrouped and got back to playing the uptempo style they're known for, slowly chipping away at the lead and setting up the dramatic finish.
“We just did really well playing together and never giving up when things started going bad,” Freund said. “I know we really wanted to win that game heading into playoffs, just to know we can beat Simcoe if it comes down to us in the final.”
This was the first and only loss for the Sabres on the season, as they finish 7-1 and will host the NSSAA senior girls playoffs next week, starting with the semifinal games Nov. 6.
“I give Delhi a lot of credit, they ran up and down the floor and beat our presses. It was a good baskeball game,” Simcoe coach Bill Macovik said.
“Our girls are like any team, they don't ever want to lose. But like I told them in the huddle afterwards, it's better to lose now and go out with a win than the other way around.”
Simcoe will host Waterford (2-6) in the semifinals while Delhi (6-2) will face Holy Trinity. Holy Trinity defeated Valley Heights in the other game Tuesday, finishing their season with a 5-3 record.
The Titans beat Delhi in the second game of the season, but the Raiders returned the favour in an Oct. 18 game. Raiders coach Ruth Barr said her team has come a long way since a somewhat rocky start to the year.
“They really came together as a team. We had a tournament halfway through the year that really helped the girls find their identity,” Barr said. “Tonight was a good way to end the regular season, and hopefully we can keep that going next week.”
The Delhi-Holy Trinity game will go first next Tuesday at 6 p.m., with the Simcoe-Waterford contest immediately following at 7:30 p.m.
Junior Raiders stay perfect
The Delhi Raiders capped off an undefeated 8-0 campaign with a 50-18 victory over Simcoe Tuesday night.
Breanne VandeVen led the way with 21 points, while teammate Tessa Hamilton scored 14. Taame Muntz Fowler scored seven for the Sabres.
Holy Trinity beat Valley Heights in the other junior game Tuesday night.
The Raiders will host the NSSAA junior girls semifinals Nov. 6. The first game will pit Simcoe against Holy Trinity at 6 p.m., with Delhi and Valley Heights playing at 7:30 p.m.
Retrieved From: http://www.simcoereformer.ca/2012/10/30/raiders-win-on-a-buzzer-beater
