Addi Holden (above) made the last two Clipper baskets in regulation and buried a triple as the start of her six points in overtime to lead the B-squad girls to a 33-28 win over host Mankato Loyola on Friday.
While the Clippers were overeager offensively for much of the first half, they played situational ball during the extra 5 minutes, said coach Chris Seely.
“Evert timeout, I was telling them to be patient, but they finally were at the end.”
Delaney Thompson angled through the paint for the game’s first basket. Loyola made two and the ensuing free throw to go in front 3-2.
Both teams went into a scoring famine from there with the Clippers settling on perimeter attempts that didn’t find their way through the webbing.
Finally, at the 4:50 mark, Loyola scored, but Taylor McCabe put in a running jump shot for two, and Thompson dumped in a layup that put the Clippers in front 6-5.
The Clippers lost the lead when they neglected a Loyola shooter underneath the basket. Holden made a layup to put her team in front 8-7, but the Clippers left the backdoor open again, and with a steal and ensuing basket that followed the easy two, the Crusaders grabbed an 11-8 lead.
Holden made a freebie and Thompson drove for a basket to knot the game at 11 with a little over a minute left in the half, but the Crusaders scored to take a 13-11 advantage into the locker room.
Holden put in a foul shot to start the second half. The Crusaders scored twice from the floor to stretch their lead, but Holden dropped in a three to reduce the Clipper deficit.
From there, Lacey McCabe went to work off the bench, driving the lane for bucket that deadlocked the game at 17. Following up, she pulled down an offensive rebound and scored for a two-point Clipper advantage, but the Crusaders responded with two baskets.
Shaking off defenders, Lacey McCabe drove for a bucket and later made a long toss to assist Holden on a layup, but the Crusaders put in a free shot to knot the game at 23.
As the clock ticked down, Holden took the ball through the paint for a basket that put the Clippers in front by two, but the Crusaders took advantage of a Clipper possession that went out of bounds to send the game into extra innings.
After Holden’s OT three, Olivia Reinhardt looped in a basket from the corner to give the Clippers a needed cushion, and they reduced the pace from there. The Crusaders scored from inside, but Holden took an inbounds pass up and in and made a free shot down the stretch to put the finishing touches on the triumph.
Holden led the Clippers with 17 points including a pair of threes. Lacey McCabe and Thompson each had six points. Taylor McCabe and Reinhardt each had two points.
Making just three of 13 attempts, the Clippers struggled at the foul line. Loyola had one three pointer and was three of six in free throw shooting.
The Clippers host Martin County West on Monday.
Lacey McCabe was heavily guarded but she managed six points.
Delaney Thompson takes a hard foul in OT.