After the Jan. 3 showdown between Keystone and Columbia, only one area team would be undefeated.
With first place of the Lorain County League on the line, the Wildcats forced overtime after they trailed, 34-25, at the end of the third quarter.
In the overtime period, Keystone executed one point better than Columbia to escape with a 48-47 victory.
Both teams engaged in heavy film analysis to prepare for this showdown. Keystone Coach Rocky Houston knew that and made slight adjustments to Keystone’s base plays to score the points needed.
“We told the girls that (Columbia) knows the play. They know exactly what we are going to do,” he said. “They think that we are going to go to the top with that elevator screen. I yelled to (Jessica Forthofer) to fake it. She did her fake and got a wide open layup in the end. We executed really well when we needed to on the offensive end.”
PHOTOS: Columbia vs. Keystone girls basketball, Jan. 3, 2024
Keystone struggled to break Columbia’s press near the end of overtime, which resulted in the Raiders point guard Elise Champagne scoring four straight points to make it a one-point game. In the dying seconds, Forthofer grabbed an offensive rebound from a missed free throw to not allow Columbia to get a shot off in the dying seconds.
Columbia had the edge for the first three quarters. It forced 14 first-half turnovers to lead, 20-16, at halftime. Kaitlyn Miller scored eight points in the third quarter, which gave the Raiders a 34-25 lead, heading into the fourth.
“Kaitlyn is a gamer. She came to play. She did a really good job when we needed an injection of some heart right there. That is something that we have been able to grow on with Kaitlyn,” Columbia Coach Corey Taylor said.
Columbia takes a commanding 15-7 lead at the end of Q1
Miller has 7 points@KLSD_Sports @MJournalSports @ColumbiaAth pic.twitter.com/OmhlmhoCSB
— Mark Perez-Krywany 🤓 (@MarkPerezK10) January 4, 2024
Keystone flipped the switch in the fourth quarter to go on a 12-0 run to take its first lead of the night. From that point on, it was a dogfight to the end.
“I think (Keystone’s) 1-3-1 shook us up a little bit at the start of (the fourth quarter). … We just didn’t move the ball how we had practice moving the ball,” Taylor said. “ This is going to be on me. We gotta have better stuff in place for situations like that.”
The days of Keystone’s inexperience hindering its close-game performances appeared to be in the past for Coach Houston.
“Three years ago, … I think we would have fallen short in this game,” he said. “This team has played so many of these games, championship games. There are games in the season, regardless if you are down, you are going to compete and fight. These girls competed and they fought.”
Columbia took a 39-36 lead with 1:10 left in regulation, but Keystone freshman Madyson Sokolowski knocked down the game-tying 3-pointer to send it to overtime.
Menge’s 3 gives Columbia a 39-36 lead late in Q4@KLSD_Sports @MJournalSports @ColumbiaAth pic.twitter.com/2c5EV2LER3
— Mark Perez-Krywany 🤓 (@MarkPerezK10) January 4, 2024
“My coach was telling me that when you get the screen and you see the switch, you hit your step-back three,” she said.
She also blocked Columbia’s last-second attempt on the other end, as time expired.
Sokolowski ties it and blocks Columbia’s final shot to send it to OT, 36-36.
She is a freshman@KLSD_Sports @MJournalSports @ColumbiaAth pic.twitter.com/BlNYC6MCrn
— Mark Perez-Krywany 🤓 (@MarkPerezK10) January 4, 2024
Sokolowski only made a pair of free-throws in the first three quarters. She scored a team-high 14 points, with three 3-pointers.
Keystone takes the lead with a cold blooded 3 from Sokolowski@KLSD_Sports @MJournalSports @ColumbiaAth pic.twitter.com/Hs6JY3qUFQ
— Mark Perez-Krywany 🤓 (@MarkPerezK10) January 4, 2024
Keystone forward Vivian Cassell followed with 13 points. She had one rebound in the first half and grabbed 10 more in the second half and overtime.
“I knew that we needed a shot (of energy) to keep us going. Once we get momentum, we don’t stop. Us, as a team, we all work together,” Cassell said.
Cassell’s 11-rebound performance was crucial for the Wildcats to win the rebounding battle, 34-21. Keystone also reduced the turnovers in the second half.
Champagne scored two points in regulation, but scored six in overtime to finish with eight. Kaitlyn Miller led Columbia with 20 points.
Champagne sinks both free throws, steals the ball and makes a layup to make it a 1 point game@KLSD_Sports @MJournalSports @ColumbiaAth pic.twitter.com/OK7Wdcet9v
— Mark Perez-Krywany 🤓 (@MarkPerezK10) January 4, 2024
“(Champagne) did what we expected her to do,” Taylor said. “She got downhill, being able to attack and turning (Keystone) over a little bit. She was able to get into the paint. Unfortunately, everything that we were doing, it was a little too late in that overtime.”
Both teams will play against, which could potentially be for an LC8 title share for Columbia or a second consecutive outright conference championship for Keystone, as the Raiders dropped to 9-1 (4-1 in LC8) and the Wildcats improved to 11-0 (5-0 in LC8).
Forthofer (eight points) and Houston (seven) contributed in the scoring column as well. Forthofer also grabbed seven rebounds.
Keystone and Columbia will continue in conference play on Jan. 6. Keystone will host Firelands and Columbia will travel to Oberlin.
THE SCORE
Keystone 48, Columbia 47
