Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
JERSEY - Led by a 39-point outburst by star freshman guard Clare Breden, Jersey’s basketball girls won a two-overtime thriller 75-74 over rival Highland on Thursday night.
Megan Kronk came off the bench for Highland to pour in 28 points. Normally, she averages around 4 points a game, her Coach Mike Arbuthnot said, so he viewed her effort as incredible.
Abby Manns added 15 points for Jersey. Highland’s Reese Portall and Ellie Brown finished with 12 and 10 points respectively. Brooke Tuttle had eight points and Brianna Schroeder had seven for Jersey.
The most amazing statistic of the game was that Jersey’s girls hit 13-of-13 from the free-throw line in the two pressure-packed overtime periods. Jersey head girls coach Kevin Strebel said the free-throw effort was definitely a key to the win.
The victory was the first for Jersey over Highland’s girls since 2012 and propelled the Panthers into second place in the Mississippi Valley Conference with a 6-2 mark. Jersey is now 19-5 overall. Highland fell to 17-10 overall and 5-3 in the conference.
Asked who he would single out in the victory, Strebel said: “the entire team played well.” “We had so many players making so many plays that it was an absolute team effort. It was so special that some players who normally don’t play that many varsity minutes helped get the job done.”
Strebel said his team showed they would not quit after they fell behind and he was so proud of his girls.
“Defensively, they were coming hard at us, but the good thing is when they would double on one side, somebody else made the play,” the coach said.
Coach Arbuthnot said Jersey deserved big credit in the game for their efforts and never-say-die spirit.
“Megan Kronk played an excellent game and our others kids also had a nice ballgame,” he said. “Jersey scored 75 points and they are averaging 52, so it was a great effort on their part. The sun will come up tomorrow, but we have to clean up some things before the post-season. Obviously, they (Jersey) had won 18 ballgames coming in, so we knew they were capable of winning.”
Coach Arbuthnot said Breden was almost impossible to stop, no matter what defensive schemes the Bulldogs applied and she has a bright future as only a freshman.
More like this:
