With the clock ticking down to fewer than 10 seconds left, Hillsboro senior Lexi Close slashed through the paint and attempted to score in a 36-36 game at Grandview Thursday night.
Close was fouled on the play and was awarded two free throws. Her first shot bounced off the rim. Her second went through cleanly to give the Hawks a 37-36 lead. Grandview rushed down the floor to shoot to win, but sophomore Kaylyn Sparks’ 3-point effort missed and the Hawks hung on for their fourth straight victory.
“We had opportunities throughout the game, and if you’d told me we’d have (Close) in that spot at the end of the game, I’d absolutely want that,” Hillsboro head coach Joe Fehlker said.
Close, who led all scorers with 28 points, has been money from the free-throw line this season, leading the entire St. Louis area for awhile. She’s currently third in free-throw shooting having made 99 of 116 (85.3 percent).
“I heard everyone screaming, but I focused on the hoop and I calmed my nerves and just shot it,” Close said.
It was the last game for the Eagles (21-3) before they start the Class 3 District 3 tournament Saturday in Park Hills. The Eagles are the No. 1 seed and play Bourbon at 6 p.m. The Hawks (18-6) have one more game – against Seckman, Feb. 23 – before they host the Class 4 District 2 tournament which starts Feb. 25.
Despite the game not having any district seeding or conference implications – the Eagles are in the Jefferson County Activities Association small-schools division, the Hawks are in the large-schools side – both teams fought to the last second.
“This game had a district feel to it, which we knew was going to happen,” Fehlker said. “Before the game we talked about this would be a good district-type game for us.”
Grandview led Hillsboro 11-8 after the first quarter. But Close began a personal 12-0 run against the Eagles with two free throws to close out the first. She made a 3-pointer to open the second quarter, scored the game’s next points with an old-fashioned 3-point play, and then scored again with 3:53 left in the half to give the Hawks a 16-11 lead.
Close stole the ball on the Eagles’ next possession and was fouled on her next shot. She made the two free throws and the Hawks led 18-11. Grandview senior Karleigh Faust finally broke the Close scoring spree with a field goal.
“Our outside shooters stepped up and once they became a threat it opened up the lane a lot more,” Close said.
Freshman Isabelle Kuczka sank two free throws for the Eagles and junior Katelyn McGlaughlin made a basket as Grandview quickly trimmed the Hawks’ lead to 18-17. But Close closed out the half with a basket.
Faust started the scoring in the second half with a basket, and Close picked up her third foul with 7:24 left in the third. Junior Macy Ketcherside scored the next four points for the Eagles who surged ahead of the Hawks 23-20.
Faust, Kirstin Sparks and Madi Gearhart were all honored before the game for Senior Night. Before the game started, Faust sang the national anthem.
"I know they were very emotional," Grandview head coach Ronda Hubbard said of the seniors. "They were in tears. There was so much emotion attached to all of the pregame events."
Ketcherside made a 3-pointer with 7:09 left in the game to give the Eagles a 31-29 lead, but she fouled out with 3:03 to play and finished with nine points.
“We did a good job with our game plan,” Fehlker said. “Grandview has some really talented players and scorers and it was a matter of us containing them. We did a good job of that.”
The Eagles ran with the Hawks for four quarters despite playing at Kingston the night before. Hillsboro hadn't played in a week. Despite the loss, Hubbard was happy with her team's effort.
"I knew what a great player (Close) is and we know what a great team they have," Hubbard said. "We really didn’t have time to prepare for them because we played a game the night before. We couldn’t get into a groove offensively."