Cavs rally for win

COLDWATER - Starting the game missing the first 11 shots is usually not a good recipe for victory.

But Coldwater played strong defense to overcome the cold start and used an Alli May 3-pointer with 20 seconds remaining in regulation to win 34-31 over Fort Recovery in Midwest Athletic Conference girls' basketball action on Saturday afternoon at the Palace.

Both teams are known for their defensive prowess and both were on display. The Indians held Coldwater to just a pair of free throws from Lauren Gilliland in the opening quarter. The Cavaliers, however, countered with solid defense that allowed them to trail only 7-2 after eight minutes.

"Lauren is a good offensive player. She makes them go," said Fort Recovery coach Brian Patch. "I thought Liv (Olivia Patch) did a great job on her making things tough (Gilliland missed her first eight field goal attempts).

"Defense has been great for us all year," said Coldwater coach Kennan Leichty. "We knew (Fort Recovery) was going to be a physical team. They crash the boards. We knew we had to minimize some second-chance opportunities."

Paige Fortkamp tallied the first basket of the second quarter to raise the Indians' lead to 9-2, but the Cavaliers started their comeback as Kate Leichty knocked down a 3-pointer for the first Coldwater field goal. Back-to-back shots by Val Fullenkamp gave the Indians their biggest lead of the day at 14-5. But Kate Leichty followed with another trey and then Gilliland made bucket and two Paige Siefring free throws cut the deficit to 14-12 at halftime. After going 0 of 11 in the first quarter, Coldwater hit 3 of 8 from the floor in the second quarter.

"I thought (Kate) Leichty was the difference-maker in the game," said Patch. "She made some big shots and plays."

Fort Recovery tried to pull away again to start the second half as Muhlenkamp hit another trey to raise the lead to 19-12, but Siefring hit two free throws and then Gilliland had back-to-back buckets to get Coldwater to within one at 19-18. After a missed Fort Recovery shot attempt, Kate Leichty hit her third trey of the day to give Coldwater its first lead with 95 seconds left in the quarter. Annelise Harlamet closed out the quarter with a bucket of her own to give Coldwater a 23-19 lead.

"Second half we stepped up and played with a little more energy and physicality in the paint," said coach Leichty.

Muhlenkamp scored five straight points to start the fourth quarter to put the Indians back in front 24-23, only to have Kate Leichty come back with four straight points of her own to make it 27-24. The lead changed hands two more times before a Kate Leichty bucket tied the game at 31-all with 2:22 remaining in regulation. Both teams had chances to go ahead, but it wasn't until May took the ball at the top of the arc and buried the trey with 20 seconds remaining.

"It got impromptued," coach Leichty said of the winning shot. "It was the backside of the set (play). (May) did a nice job."

Fort Recovery looked to Muhlenkamp to hit the tying basket, but the shot was off the mark as the Cavaliers held on.

"(Coldwater and Fort Recovery are) two identical teams if you look at the stats," said Patch. "Both teams have struggled offensively but play pretty good defense. It was going to come down to who would make the play at the end."

Leichty led Coldwater with 15 points. Gilliland finished with eight points and nine rebounds.

Muhlenkamp finished with 13 points and eight rebounds.

Both teams are back in action Tuesday. Coldwater hosts Shawnee and Fort Recovery travels to Pitsburg to face Franklin Monroe in a varsity-only contest.