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Birch Run
- What
transpired
in the third
quarter was
a marvel.
How the
Birch Run
Lady
Panthers
went from
scoring 11
first half
points to 52
in the 2nd
was just
plain
magical.
The Panthers
hit just
three field
goals in the
first half
and found
themselves
down 11-1
right from
the get go
and 27-11 at
the break.
Brooke
Sanders had
8 of Birch
Run's 11
points while
Frankenmuth
had a much
more
balanced
attacked,
led by
Sophomore
Jenny
McCain's 9
points.
The
scoreboard
had the
makings of a
blowout and
a night to
forget for
the
Panthers.
Luckily for
the fans and
for their
own sake,
the players
must not
have bought
into the
notion that
the 2nd half
was going to
be more of
the same.
The Panthers
went on to
outscore the
Eagles 26 to
6 in a third
quarter that
saw Birch
Run score 22
unanswered,
starting at
about the
halfway mark
of the
quarter.
Down 33-15,
their
largest
deficit of
the game,
Birch Run
began the
march back,
starting
with a crowd
pleasing 3
point play
by Emily
Jimenez.
The first
two quarters
saw just
three
players
score, the
final four
minutes of
the third
saw 5
different
Panthers get
into the box
score.
Sanders,
Samantha
Periard and
Jimenez
spearheaded
the comeback
but it is
Kirsten
Sanders who
put an
exclamation
point on the
22 point
flurry.
Kirsten
nailed a 3
ball with 50
ticks to go
in the third
to give
Birch Run
their first
lead, 35-33,
since being
up 1-0 in
the first
quarter.
Kacey King
scored the
final basket
of the
quarter for
Birch Run,
extending
the lead to
4.
McCauley
Mossner
finally
halted the
run with a
free throw
to end the
quarter,
with the
Eagles down
by 3.
The Panthers
had garnered
momentum and
the lead but
there was
still a full
8 minutes of
game to be
played.
Kirsten
Sanders
opened up a
6 point lead
on another
make from 3
point land.
Muth then
made a move
of their
own, going
on a 7-0 run
that
reclaimed
the lead at
41-40 on a
basket by
Nicole Bade.
Brooke
Sanders and
Jimenez
answered
with back to
back buckets
to grab the
lead back
but with
4:30
remaining,
Sanders
picked up
her 4th
foul, 1 away
from being
booted from
the game.
After an
Eagle's free
throw by
McCain and a
bucket by
Christine
Gobrogge,
Frankenmuth
had knotted
things up at
44.
Kirsten
Sanders
brought the
house down
again, with
her 3rd
triple of
the night.
The Eagles
weren't
about the
give in just
yet.
After a
Periard free
throw pushed
the lead to
4, Muth
answered
right back
with 2
buckets, the
tying shot
by Lisa
Polzin.
With the
score tied
at 48, it
became a
free throw
contest with
Birch Run
splitting on
trips to the
line but the
makes from
Kirsten and
Brooke
Sanders were
enough to
capture the
game 53-49.
After the
final buzzer
had sounded,
the Lady
Panthers
burst into
celebration
before
gathering
themselves
to
congratulate
the Eagles
on a great
game.
With the
win, the
Panthers
move 1 full
game ahead
of
Frankenmuth
in the
Tri-Valley
East
standings at
7-0.
The two will
meet again
in
Frankenmuth
for the last
regular
season game.
I'm sure the
date has
already been
circled by
both teams
as it may
decide who
ultimately
carries the
conference
crown.
With 6
Seniors
between the
two teams,
this could
be a date
that we all
circle for
the next few
years.
Brooke
Sanders
finished
with 20
points to
lead all
scorers
while
Kirsten
Sanders had
11.
Both McCain
and Polzin
had 12 for
the Lady
Eagles.
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