Durant's lead lead lasts in double overtime

     In a game of multiple lead changes, Durant claimed the last one, and escaped with an 81-77, double-overtime win over Monticello in River Valley Conference girls basketball action Dec. 21 in Durant.

     The Panther loss overshadowed the performances of junior Gabrielle Steiner, who came off the bench to score 23 points; and senior Sydney Hansen, who scored 20. Both had an outstanding shooting night; Steiner was 9-for-11 from the field, and Hansen was 9-for-13.

     “I thought both Gabrielle Steiner and Sydney Hansen played an outstanding game,” Kremer said. “They both carried us throughout the game.”

     Overall the Panthers shot well, 31-for-66 from the field (47 percent). But from the free throw line, Monticello was just 12-for-29 (41.4 percent).

     “I thought we did a nice job of executing the offense in the half court,” the coach said. “We found the open girl and made the extra pass to an easy shot attempt.

     “We need to make our free throws when we have a chance to. Our inability to convert our free throws really hurt our chances to win.”

     It was very much a see-saw game. Monticello led 12-7 after one quarter, but Durant outscored the Panthers 23-12 in the second quarter to take a 30-24 lead. Monticello turned the tables again with a 20-10 third quarter edge to lead 44-40.

     The Panthers had a number of big shots in the latter stages of a high-scoring fourth quarter. Trailing 60-59 in the final minute of regulation time, Tori McDonald drove the lane and flipped up a shot for a go-ahead basket with 44 seconds left. After Durant regained the lead, McDonald found Sydney Hansen with a backdoor pass and a layup to put Monticello in front 63-62 with 13 seconds.

     A foul led to a free throw for Durant to tie the game, and a buzzer-beating shot from the Panthers missed the mark, sending the teams into overtime tied 63-63.

     “At times we did a nice job of executing under pressure and other times we did not,” Kremer said. “We were able to get any shot we wanted, which was a great thing.”

     Monticello had to come from behind in the first overtime period. Gabrielle Steiner found Karli Recker open for a layup to tie the game 71-71 with 34 seconds left. After Durant retook the lead, Steiner again assisted on a tying basket, this time for a Hansen layup, with six seconds left. The teams went to a second overtime period tied 73-73.

     The Wildcats were able to forge to a five-point lead in the second extra session, however, and this time the Panthers were unable to answer. Two free throws by Steiner with 36.3 seconds to play pulled Monticello to within 80-77, but Durant made one of two free throws with 24.6 seconds to play, and the four-point lead stood.

     It was the final game of 2018 for the Panthers, who headed into the holiday break with records of 6-3 in the River Valley Conference, 7-3 overall.

Dec. 21

Mon 12 12 20 19 10  4 – 77

Dur     7 23 10 23 10   8 – 81

     MONTICELLO (77) – Tori McDonald 2-5 2-4 6, Maddie Fellinger 4-9 0-1 9, Sydney Hansen 9-13 2-5 20, Aspen Gillmore 0-2 3-4 3, Carly Hayen 0-5 0-4 0, Gabrielle Steiner 9-11 5-7 23, Karli Recker 3-9 0-0 8, Gabrielle Guilford 3-11 0-4 6, Rebekah Prull 1-1 0-0 2, Emily Schlarmann 0-0 0-0 0, Lydia Recker 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-66 12-29 77.

     Three-pointers: K. Recker 2, Fellinger.

     Rebounds: Monticello 35 (Steiner 8, Hayen 6, Fellinger 5).

     Total fouls: Monticello 34.