Last Minute Bucket by Emily Cawood Gives Midway the Win
March 2019
Mufreesboro, TN — Midway vs Eagleville at the Tennessee girl’s basketball championships was the most exciting of the four contests that pitted the best of Division One, Class A. The four games included games between Loretto and Oneida, Gibson County vs Summertown, Eagleville vs Midway and Greenfield vs Clarkrange.
Loretto came in with the best record at 30-1, while Eagleville came in with most losses at 23-8. Loretto(31-1) began the evening with a game against Oneida Tennessee. Loretto ran out to 16-4 lead in first quarter but Oneida held tough with 16-11 advantage in second quarter to trail 27-20 at the half. Loretto took control in second half on way to 59-40 win.
In second game of the night, Greenfield battled to 19-10 lead in the first quarter and then used a 17-4 second quarter to take commanding 36-14 lead at halftime. Clarkrange played better in second half, actually winning scoreborad 31-28, but could not close the gap and Greenfield had the 64-45 win.
The third game of the night putted Midway against Eagleville in a contrast of team styles and makeup. Eagleville came in with three inside players standing 5’10”, 5’11” an 6’0″ tall, while Midway came in as a quick team with tallest player standing 5’7″. Eagleville brought a large and energetic crowd from just up the road just under 20 miles away.
Game stayed cclose early in first quarter. A Caitlynn Ross three point basket pulled Midway within 9-8 with 4:52 left. It was then Rebecca Lemasters with the long ball to pull Midway even at 11-11. Cooley Whitley quickly answered for the 14-11 lead with 3:03 left in quarter to lead a 8-2 advantage over the last three minutes of quarter to give Lady Eagles 19-13 first quarter lead.
Midway scored first in second quarter before Anna Grace Clement hit a nice reversal in close to begin a run that took Lady Eagles to 24-15 lead with 5:49 left in half. Teams traded baskets for 26-17 lead with over five minute remaining. Lady Eagles pushed the lead to 31-20 with 1:59 left on the clock and finished with nine point lead at 33-24 thanks to two last second free throws by Midway’s Emmy Taylor.
About one minute into third quarter, Anna Grace Clement put back a missed shot to one again give Eagleville the eleven point lead at 35-24. She put another rebound back with 6:26 left to push the Eagleville lead to 37-26. Shorty thereafter, Paige Bacon punched the ball out of an Eagleville players hands and Caityn Ross raced down court for the layin under pressure to cut lead to 37-28 with 5:28 left in quarter and two more buckets brought a time-out call as Midway was within 37-32 with 4:47 left in third quarter. Seconds later, it was Paige Bacon going high for the steal in pressure defence. She took the steal for score to cut the lead to 37-34 with 3:49 left on clock in quarter.
Heaven Prinzi canned a jumper for 37-36 score with 3:27 left in third. An Eagleville basket was wiped out by as Cawood took charge down low on a very close call, and she followed that with an off-balance prayer that was answered for the first lead for Midway in a long time 38-37 with 2:40 left in the third quarter. Midway by this point was pressing baseline to baseline but Eagleville got ball up court and down low for Anna Grace Clement for 39-38 lead for Eagleville. After trading baskets it was Makayla Moates with elbow three with just under minute remaining in third to give Eagleville 42-40 lead. When Thompson hit the free throw line jumper just before buzzer, Eagles had righted the ship somewhat an took 44-40 lead into final quarter.
Teams traded baskets early and Eagleville lead 46-43 with 6:48 remaining after the Cawood three for Midway. Later in the quarter it was Rebecca Lemasters with the baseline basket to tie score 48-48 with 4:56 left in game. But another three point basket by Ross put Midway up 51-48 with 3:05 left in game. Midway put the ball in the freezer but it was Elizabeth Thompson with Eagleville steal and then Makayla Moates with the finish on the offensive end with the big three point make to tie the game with just over one minute left in the game.
Midway and Eagleville traded a missed shot and turnover to setup Midway with the ball and 33 seconds on the clock. Caitlyn Ross made the big pass to Cawood down low and she put up the go-a-head shot with 15 seconds left in the game and Midway leading 53-51. Eagles came down but were forced to take a tough three point shot just before buzzer and Ross corraled the rebound and the celebration began for Midway. Tough loss for the Eagles and great win for Green Wave.
Midway was 18-55 from the field and 7 of 20 from three point line but perfect 10-10 from the free throw line and finished with 13 personal fouls. Eagleville hit 20-54 from the field with 6-14 from the line but only hit 5-9 free throws while committing 9 fouls. Eagleville enjoyed a 45-27 advantage in rebounds, while Midway had 9 steals and Eagles 4.
Scoring for Midway: Caitlyn Ross 20, Rebecca Lemasters 10, Paige Bacon 4, Heaven Prinzi 4, Emily Cawood 13, and Emmy Taylor 2. Paige Bacon had 7 rebounds, Bacon had 4 steals and Ross had 4 assists to lead Midway.
Scoring for Eagleville: Haylee Ferguson 1, Coley Whitley 3, Elizabeth Thompson 10, Makayla Moates 22, Anna Grace Clement 14 and Mary Elise Lynch 1. Moates, Clement and Thompson pulled down 13, 10 and 9 rebounds respectively. Haylee Ferguson had 4 assists to lead the Eagles.
