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GIRLS BASKETBALL: Lady 'Cats Survive, Thrive in OT

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BART O’CONNELL

Tribune correspondent

Published: December 10, 2008

LAND O’ LAKES - It was the best possible ending, or worst possible start, depending on how Wesley Chapel girls basketball coach Karim Nohra decides to look at it.

After practically pulling his hair out during an improbable Land O' Lakes fourth-quarter rally to force overtime, the Wildcats held top scorer Meghan Keough and the Gators without a field goal during the extra period to win 53-47.

"I've got to give credit to my girls because they stuck it out in overtime and played their guts out in overtime to give us the 'W'," Nohra said. "It was a huge test because I'm still putting my system in. I came in late and the whole system isn't in. They don't understand the whole system completely [yet]."

Wesley Chapel weathered an early Keough storm; the sophomore scored Land O' Lakes' first 10 points to give the Gators an early lead. But with 1.6 seconds remaining in the first quarter, Hannah Noble (11 points) converted a lay-up while being fouled, and the ensuing successful free throw gave the Wildcats a lead they wouldn't relinquish until the fourth.

Keough (22 points) had just one field goal in the second and third quarters combined, but the Gators kept it close thanks to the sharpshooting of sophomore Kaitlynn Pacholke, who scored nine of her 15 points in the second half and overtime.

Wesley Chapel led by seven when Pacholke ended the third quarter scoring with her second 3-pointer. After a Wildcats free throw, Keough hit a quick 3-pointer to start the wild fourth quarter, but the Gators still trailed by 2.

The teams traded baskets until Pacholke took an inbounds pass from Keough and rifled a pass from outside the 3-point line to Keough on the baseline for an easy layup to tie the game at 36.

Again, Wesley Chapel built a four-point lead, but Keough was fouled with 20 seconds to play. She made 1-of-2 free throws, stole a pass, then tossed it back to Pacholke for a game-tying 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds left in regulation. The Wildcats missed a contested layup as time expired to force overtime.

Wesley Chapel showed a suffocating defense in the extra frame, and Keough was unable to fight off the constant double-teams under the basket. Meanwhile, Janelle Mills (16 points) and Noble (6-of-9 free throw shooting) made key shots to pull away.

"It was a big factor to make sure Keough didn't get her normal 26, 30 points a game," Nohra said. "Our defense kept her off guard, and that was the whole purpose."

WESLEY CHAPEL 53, LAND O' LAKES 47

Wesley Chapel (53): Mas 5 0-0 11; Noble 2 6-9 11; Mills 8 0-2 16; Brown 3 2-2 8; Houston 2 1-2 5; Cannon 1 0-2 2. Totals – 21 9-17 53.

Land O' Lakes (47): Keough 7 7-16 22; Pacholke 5 2-4 15; William 0 1-6 1; Nichols 3 0-0 7; Woodard 1 0-0 2. Totals – 16 10-26 47.

Total Fouls: WC 21, LOL 15. Fouled Out – Cannon (WC). 3-point goals: Mas (WC); Keough, Pacholke 3, Nichols (LOL). Records – WC 6-0, LOL 4-3.

Correspondent Bart O'Connell can be reached at Tampasport@gmail.com.

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