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Fort Recovery's Reagan Allemeier (2) takes the ball away from Fort Recovery's Makenna Huelskamp.
FORT RECOVERY - It took 7 1/2 minutes for St. Marys to score a point in the fourth quarter, but that first point was big.
Reagan Allemeier's free throw with 24.3 seconds remaining in regulation broke a 31-all tie and Sophie Menker's free throws with less than a second left secured the Roughriders' 34-31 girls basketball victory over Fort Recovery on Tuesday night at Fort Site Fieldhouse.
The Indians had a big fourth quarter after trailing 31-24 heading into the final stanza. Neither team could get more than seven points away from each other all night as defense stepped up on both sides.
"We picked up the defense a lot better in the second half," said Roughriders coach Scott Jordan. "I don't think we made a field goal in the fourth quarter (St. Marys was 0-for-3 from the field in the final eight minutes). We can't really afford to do that, but I'm proud how we battled and defended in the second half."
"We did just about everything we needed to do to get back in and win the game," said Fort Recovery coach Tyler Deitsch. "A couple things didn't really roll our way. That's basketball."
Allemeier's free throw with 1.9 seconds remaining in the third quarter gave the Roughriders a seven-point lead, but the Indians quickly went to work. Kennedy Muhlenkamp scored two buckets in a row over a two-minute span to get Fort Recovery to within three at 31-28 with 5 1/2 minutes to play.
The Roughriders either turned the ball over or missed a basket on five straight possessions. Then when the Riders went to the foul line, they missed four straight free throws.
Fort Recovery's Saige Leuthold (10) bats the ball away from St. Marys' Ella Jacobs.
Saige Leuthold got a bucket to fall with 2:09 to play in regulation to cut the margin to 31-30. After St. Marys missed free throws with 1:25 to play, Fort Recovery got the ball down the floor and Muhlenkamp was fouled trying for a basket with 76 seconds to play. Muhlenkamp missed the first free throw, but nailed the second to tie the game at 31.
The Roughriders tried to set up a tie-breaking score, but Cali Wendel was able to snag a loose ball for the Indians. After a Tribe timeout, the Indians lost possession as Allemeier was fouled and went to the line to shoot two. Allemeier made the first to break the tie, but missed the second as Leuthold got the rebound.
The teams traded timeouts over the next 20 seconds, the last coming with 4.2 seconds to play. A loose ball turned into a jump ball, with the arrow pointing to St. Marys. Menker was fouled on the inbounds with under a second to play, making both free throws to ice the game.
St. Marys' Sophia Menker shoots a layup as Fort Recovery's Kennedy Muhlenkamp defends.
"Things were rolling our way for most of that fourth quarter," said Deitsch. "Our girls fought hard all the way. That's two (straight) games we've held teams to under the average from the first few games."
Reese Rable, who hit two big 3-pointers in the third quarter to keep the Roughriders ahead, led all players with 14 points. Menker scored 10.
"Sophia is a sophomore, so it was big to make those two shots down the stretch," said Jordan. "We needed Reese's offense. She carried us. That's what we need out of her."
Leuthold and Muhlenkamp each finished with 11 points for Fort Recovery with Muhlenkamp adding eight rebounds.
Both teams are off until after Christmas. St. Marys hosts Miami East next Wednesday. Fort Recovery takes part in the Battle of Route 119 round-robin series on Dec. 28 and 29 as the Indians host Marion Local on Dec. 28 and travel to St. Henry on Dec. 29. All levels of boys and girls basketball will face off on those days.
