The postseason always brings out the best in a team, and Tuesday's Region XVI women's basketball semifinal between Three Rivers College and Mineral Area College was one for the ages.
Survive and advance was the theme for the matchup against the No. 2 seeded Three Rivers Lady Raiders and No. 3 seed MAC.
After meeting each other for the fourth time this season, the Lady Cardinals won when it mattered the most with a 92-80 win over the Lady Raiders.
"I think the biggest thing that aided with this loss was the execution of the game plan," TRC coach Alex Wiggs said. "Defensively, we needed some stops and gave up too many second-chance shots. Overall, it came down to the defensive end and not getting stops when we needed them the most."
"I think we also lost a little trust for each other down in the stretch after such a strong start. Late in the fourth, we weren't being aggressive and didn't make te right plays offensively, which hurt us."
Both teams gelled very well offensively in the first quarter, knocking down multiple 3-pointers and getting solid looks in the paint. The Lady Raiders (22-5) decided to use full-pressure defense to close off any run Mineral Area (22-10) had planned.
Little did they know, the pressure wouldn't phase the Lady Cardinals as they still managed to land open shots and control the pace throughout the game.
Much of the second quarter remained close until a 10-3 run from the Lady Cardinals. MAC's sophomore guard Lexi McCully was responsible for the massive run, dropping 16 points in the first half and giving the Lady Cardinals a 41-34 lead at halftime.
Despite a big run from Mineral Area, the Lady Raiders kept their composure and slowly fought back into the game with some big shots to cut the lead 61-60 to end the third.
Stepping into the last quarter, a series of back-and-forth baskets picked up in the fourth as each team battled for control of the game. To help ease the pain from the first-half shooting, the Lady Raiders transitioned into a zone defense, but no matter the change, the Lady Cardinals had an answer.
After a fight to gain control of the matchup, the last two minutes of the game went down to which team wanted the win the most; in this case, the Lady Cardinals held on for the victory.
The Lady Raiders were led by freshman Amiya Johnson, who finished with 22 points, four steals and three rebounds. Forward Maiya Bergdorf added 20 points and seven rebounds and Da'Kariya chipped in with 12 points and four assists.
Mineral Area leading scorers were Lexi McCully with 26 points, Katelyne Chomko with 19, Gabby Moore with 16, Michell Butler with 14 and Audra Pasakarnis with 12.
Despite the outcome, Wiggs hopes his team will learn from this loss and return stronger than ever.
"I want them to understand that you can't be afraid of failure and not only in basketball but in life," Wiggs said. "It's easy to let this game define us, but how will we respond? The next move is the most important thing. We still got a chance at large bid, but we'll find out Sunday on whether or not we'll get that opportunity, but until then, we will stay ready."
D'Courtland Christian - Daily American Republic