By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After being hit with a barrage of Mill Valley 3-pointers that put them in an 11-point first-quarter hole, Shawnee Heights' girls spent the rest of Wednesday's Class 5A sub-state semifinal fighting back.
That spirited rally from double-digit deficits in all four quarters gave the T-Birds a chance at the end of the game, but Heights couldn't quite complete the comeback, dropping a 48-44 decision on its home floor.
"It a bucket here, a bucket there, a free throw here, a free throw there,'' Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells said. "We were making all the great hustle plays to put ourself in position, we just could not quite get over the hump.
"But what more can we say about their effort and how they just stick with it and keep going and keep working all the time?''
Sophomore Breezy Canady (right) led Shawnee Heights with nine points in the T-Birds' 48-44 sub-state loss to Mill Valley Wednesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior Taylor Rottinghaus scored eight points in Shawnee Heights' 48-44 season-ending sub-state loss to Mill Valley Wednesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights finished its season 10-11 while 9-12 Mill Valley advanced to a 6 p.m. Saturday sub-state final at Lansing.
Mill Valley started the game red hot, with the Jaguars connecting on five 3-pointers in the opening quarter to build a 21-10 advantage.
Shawnee Heights fought back to within five points in the second quarter before trailing 28-21 at the half, but Mill Valley pushed its advantage back to 37-26 with 2:40 left in the third quarter and took a 41-31 lead into the fourth.
Mill Valley went back up by 11 early in the final period, but Shawnee Heights rallied to within two points remaining on a three-point play from junior Taylor Rottinghaus with 3:34 left and got within two again with 24.3 seconds remaining after a shot from sophomore Breezy Canady.
After a pair of Mill Valley missed free throws with 21.2 seconds left Shawnee Heights got a good look at a 3-pointer that would have given the T-Birds the lead, but junior Riley Showalter's attempt bounced off the rim and Mill Valley senior standout Emree Zars was fouled and hit two free throws to clinch the Jaguar victory.
Zars was a thorn in the T-Birds' side all night, finishing with a game-high 27 points, including a pair of 3-pointers and an 11 of 13 performance at the free throw line.
Heights struggled through a tough offensive night, shooting just 30.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from the line.
Canady led the T-Birds with nine points, while Rottinghaus added eight points and Abby Schulte and Emari Doby seven apiece.
And although the season came to a disappointing end, Wells said he was extremely proud of his team throughout the season.
"We can not fault them any single game for their effort,'' Wells said. "There has never been a lack of effort in a game, never been a lack of effort in practice.
"They come out and work their tails off and do what we want them to do. It's just getting the ball to go in the basket sometimes.''
Zars was the lone player in double figures for Mill Valley while senior Greta Trowbridge added nine points with two treys and sophomore Keira Franken had six points on two 3-pointers.
Lansing advanced to the sub-state final with a 55-25 semifinal romp past Piper.
MILL VALLEY GIRLS 48, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 44
Mill Valley 21 7 13 7 -- 48
Shawnee Heights 10 11 10 13 -- 44
Mill Valley (9-12) -- Franken 2-4 0-2 6, Fields 2-3 0-3 4, Pringle 0-2 0-0 0, Trowbridge 3-8 1-2 9, Zars 7-13 11-13 27, Vosburg 1-3 0-1 2, Landon 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 15-35 12-21 48.
Shawnee Heights (10-11) -- Rottinghaus 3-8 2-3 8, Doby 3-11 1-2 7, Schulte 2-6 2-2 7, Fleischer 1-3 0-0 2, Oczko 3-10 0-0 6, Showalter 1-7 0-2 3, Hill 0-2 0-0 0, Rantz 1-2 0-0 2, Canady 4-10 0-1 9. Totals 18-59 5-10 44.
3-point goals -- Mill Valley 6 (Franklin 2, Trowbridge 2, Zars 2), Shawnee Heights 3 (Schulte, Showalter, Canady). Total fouls -- Mill Valley 15, Shawnee Heights 17. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls -- none.
