Round 2 of the MPSSAA Girls Basketball 4A tournament on Friday evening saw two title-contending teams battle for the third time this season. In both regular season matchups, the Clarksburg Coyotes found themselves on top, but the Seneca Valley Screamin’ Eagles came into this game after a dominant first-round win over the Northwest Jaguars, while the Coyotes were getting over their county championship loss last week.
“That was extremely tough [to get over],” Clarksburg junior forward London Turner said. “I couldn’t stop thinking about that one. It took me like three days to get over it. But we got to move forward.”
But from the opening tip-off, both teams were locked in. Fans were treated to back-and-forth scoring, trading defensive stops, physical play and a flurry of diving girls scrounging for loose balls on the Coyotes home court.
For the first three quarters, the Screamin’ Eagles were executing their game plan. They were finishing at the rim, moving the ball around and limiting second chances from the Clarksburg offense by out-rebounding the Coyotes. Rebounding had been the team’s Achilles’ heel in the regular season games against Clarksburg, but on Friday they were boxing out and taking charge in the paint.
“They dominated the boards,” Coyotes Head Coach Sissy Natoli said of Seneca Valley. “Their boxing out was incredible. Destiny [Turner] had to work through two players to get a rebound. I had to bring [senior guard] Faith [Kali] down a little lower because any time the ball hit the ground, she had a chance.”
As the third quarter ticked down, Screamin’ Eagles senior guard Nia Hall hit a half-court buzzer beater to put Seneca Valley up by four. The gymnasium volume surged. But it didn’t rattle Coyotes junior forward London Turner. It instead sparked confidence.
“Once I saw that, I knew we [could come back] because that half-court shot didn’t mean anything to me. I wasn’t surprised by it,” Turner said. “Anybody can do it. She got lucky. I’m not even giving her credit for that because anyone could hit it.”
The fourth quarter brought along greater physicality, with both sides clamping down in the paint and jump balls being whistled from scrums of girls wrestling for the loose ball.
With 6:11 remaining in the game, the Screamin’ Eagles held a six-point lead. Then, a burst of scoring from the Coyotes brought them within one. Hall’s third three-pointer kept the lead with five minutes to go, but that was where the scoring halted for Seneca Valley.
“We tried to lock in on protecting the paint,” Natoli said. “London had four fouls, so it wasn’t just protecting the paint. It was protecting London in the paint, in the paint. So, we had our job cut out for us.”
While the Screamin’ Eagles offense went cold, the Coyotes chipped away. The lead was erased with 1:54 remaining. Then, the second basket to not be scored by a Turner sister put the Coyotes on top as freshman forward Rianna Prather hit a tough mid-range bucket, giving the team its first lead since the second quarter. From then on, the Screamin’ Eagles went to the paint for a bucket or a whistle and found neither, while the Coyotes gained both. But the Coyotes struggled at the stripe going five of 14, leaving the door open for the Screamin’ Eagles, who never could quite regain the lead.
“So, we’ve shot over 2,800 free throws so far this season. So, it’s not because of lack of [free throws], we’re just, we shoot like Shaq, and we’ve got to change that,” Natoli said, referring to former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal.
In a bizarre ending, the buzzer for the game’s end never sounded. Instead, it was whistled over by an official after a malfunction caused the clock to freeze at 2.1 seconds. But that didn’t stop the Coyotes from celebrating their 50-46 win.
Scoring in this game came down to the Turner sisters of Clarksburg, who as a trio tied the Screamin’ Eagles in scoring with 46. Leading the charge was London Turner with 18, followed by freshman forward Destiny (15) and senior Trinity (13).
“It’s amazing to know that I’m able to play with my sisters for my last year and just be able to try to get that ring,” Trinity said. “It’s amazing to have them beside me and know that I have somebody that has the same IQ as me and can help me get this done.”
Now, the Coyotes will head to Frederick High School (22-2) and take on the No. 1 seeded team in the regional final, hoping for a different outcome than their 61-53 loss back in early December.
“There were over 70 free throws shot in that game,” Natoli said. “… So it was more like a free throw shooting fest than a basketball game. I had the Turner sisters all fouled out. We have to keep them on the floor. So, going against Frederick, we may have to just change our strategy a little bit.”
Top Scorers
Coyotes: London Turner (18), Trinity Turner (15), Destiny Turner (13)
Screamin’ Eagles: Nia Hall (17), Jayden Addison (12), Mina Hashemzadeh (5)
Upcoming Games (4A State Tournament)
Clarksburg Coyotes vs. Frederick Cadets, Wednesday, TBD