Two weeks ago, Three Rivers coach Jeff Walk won at Moberly Area for the first time in his nine seasons. He'll have to wait yet one more season to try for a season sweep of the Lady Greyhounds. Three Rivers College lost to Moberly Area 62-57 in overtime Saturday at the Bess Activity Center. It was the No. 25-ranked Lady Raiders' first region loss of the season but they still hold first place in the region standings. "We weren't going through the region undefeated. The teams are too balanced this year," Walk said. "They had a little fire in their gut."
Three Rivers fell into a first-place tie with State Fair, which comes to town next weekend, and is a game ahead of both Moberly Area and Crowder. After winning 16 in a row, Three Rivers (18-4, 4-1 Region XVI) has now lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Lady Raiders also lost to Vincennes on Monday. Moberly Area (19-4, 3-2 Region XVI) took the initial lead to start overtime and pushed it to five points with 3 minutes to go on Lunden Henry's putback. The Lady Greyhounds pushed the lead to six points when Camdyn McDaniel sank a 3 with 14 seconds left that was the Lady Raiders' first field goal of overtime. Three Rivers didn't get the inbounds steal, put Brianna Perry on the line with 10 seconds left where she hit both. McDaniel's 3 was blocked and time expired soon after. The Lady Raiders have been a poor free-throw shooting team all season, going 58 percent from the line. Against Moberly Area, they were 8 for 27 (29.6 percent) and didn't make a free throw after halftime. Jalisa Smith, who was 3 for 4 from the line, was the only Lady Raider to shoot better than 50 percent from the line. "I just really wanted to win this game," Smith said. "I was wanting to stay No. 1 in the region, just gave it all I had." She came off the bench and led Three Rivers with 11 points and 11 rebounds for her first collegiate doubledouble. "If we make free throws, we win by 12," Walk said.
Anna Stewart put the Lady Greyhounds ahead with a two buckets to open the fourth quarter. Three Rivers eventually tied it up midway through on a floater by Olivia Crane, but didn't take the lead. McDaniel missed and inand-out 3 that would have taken the lead with 2 minuets to play. Next possession, Ge'Naisha Robinson was fouled on a runout and missed both attempts from the line. The Lady Greyhounds double-dribbled, and DeNayia Holmes scored through a foul after an offensive rebound from Jalisa Smith. Holmes missed the free throw, leaving the game tied with 90 seconds to play. Romekia Wallace answered at the other end for Moberly Area, and Robinson scored on an up-andunder that was Three Rivers' third try on the possession. Tied up with 22 seconds to go, Walk called time to set up the defense. Robinson stole the inbounds pass, and Walk called another timeout without any time running off the clock. Three Rivers brought it up the floor, and called one last timeout with 5.5 to go. Out of the break, they got the ball to McDaniel, who missed a long 3 at the buzzer. The Lady Raiders scored seven straight to take a 13-7 lead in the first quarter, but the Lady Greyhounds hit four field goal in the final 3 minutes and eventually tied it up at 14 just before the buzzer. Henry scored through a foul to put Moberly Area back in front to start the second quarter, but Michael Everhart sank a 3 and took the lead right back. Three Rivers again fell behind by the slightest of margins and Smith got a putback to take the lead. Her bucket was the beginning the Lady Raiders' 13-3 run to close the first half. After Smith's putback, Holmes scored off a turnover, then the Lady Raiders added two free throws. Smith got a second putback, then three more free throws, and Robinson sank a 3 give the Lady Raiders an 11-point lead. Stewart got the bucket for the second quarter in a row to cut the lead to single digits at halftime. Moberly Area cut Three Rivers' lead to one possession midway through the third quarter, but wasn't able to take the lead. The Lady Raiders, though, went into the fourth ahead by a point.