Déjà Vu

HARROD - Parkway girls basketball coach Linda Hawk wasn't in the mood to talk as she walked out of Allen East High School on Tuesday night, but what she did say said volumes.

Too many mistakes.

The Panthers scored the first 11 points of the game, but Ridgemont fought back to force a tie at the end of regulation and then fought through three overtimes before picking up a 59-52 win over Parkway in the Division IV tournament opener.

The Golden Gophers (15-8) face St. Henry at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Allen East for a berth to the Wapakoneta district semifinals. The second game of the twin bill pits Fort Recovery against Ada at 8 p.m.

It was the second time this season the teams played bonus basketball. Ridgemont beat Parkway 61-59 in double overtime in the final of the Chatt Insurance Holiday Tournament in December.

Parkway (10-13) looked ready to quickly put the game out of reach by starting the game with an 11-0 run. Sydney Crouch's bucket 39 seconds into the game started the run, Bailey Bates added a three-pointer and Sophia Miller scored four points during the run. Ridgemont was 18 seconds away from being shut out in the quarter when Shauna Richardson hit a three-pointer to end the streak. Parkway added a Claire Eichler bucket as time expired to give the Panthers a 13-3 lead.

In the second quarter, the Gophers began to trim away at their deficit. Parkway led 23-12 with 50 seconds left before the Gophers scored the final four points of quarter the to get within seven at 23-16 at the half.

"After the (first quarter), we told the girls we have to keep fighting," Ridgemont coach Tim Weyant said.  

The second half had a familiar tone as Ridgemont got closer and Parkway made the buckets to keep some distance. In the fourth quarter the Gophers got within a possession on Meadow Cromer's NBA-range three-pointer with 4:17 remaining in regulation to make the score 36-34. Crouch scored to move the Panther lead back to four but the Gophers kept moving, Priscilla Howland made it 38-36 with 1:44 to go and after a Panther missed basket, Cromer made two free throws with 40 seconds left to tie the game at 38-all. Parkway had a shot to win it but missed at the buzzer, .

Ridgemont took its first lead of the game on Jennifer Jordan's bucket 44 seconds into the first overtime. Leah Harshman quickly leveled the game at 40-all and after Ridgemont went scoreless on its next possession, Crouch scored to put Parkway on top 42-40 with 2:29 to go. After another scoreless Gopher possession, Parkway fell back and tried to run out the clock, but Ridgemont got a turnover with 33 seconds left and Cromer scored with 26 seconds left to tie the game at 42-all. Parkway turned the ball over, but Ridgemont came up empty on three shots to win the game to force another overtime.

Crouch scored four straight points to give the Panthers a 46-42 lead to start the second overtime. Ridgemont came back with a bucket by Shaylee McGrath, but Harshman made a free throw to make it a three-point game with 57.5 seconds left. Howland scored with 33 seconds left to get Ridgemont to within one. Forced to foul, Ridgemont fouled Bates, who made one of two to make it 48-46. Howland got the ball and got the layup to fall with 1.9 seconds left to tie the game again. Parkway tried a long pass, but the ball went untouched out of bounds, giving Ridgemont the ball under its basket. The Gophers could not convert, sending the game into a third overtime.

Howland hit two free throws to start the final period. Crouch quickly tied the game, but the Gophers were ready to end the game as Cromer broke the tie with 1:55 remaining. The Gophers finished the night hitting 7-of-8 from the foul line to pick up the win.

"Second half and overtime, our defense were not going to be denied," Weyant said. "That's what has been helping us. Even though we have good shooters, we're not a good shooting team (Ridgemont was 17-of-64 from the floor) and our defense usually bails us out. They did a real good job."

Jordan finished with 20 points, making 10-of-12 from the foul line. Cromer added 17 and Howland scored 12.

Crouch wrapped up a stellar career at Parkway with a game-high 22 points and 17 rebound. Eichler added eight points.