CLINTON – It was an unfortunate repeat of history for Presbyterian Christian.
For a second straight year, the Presbyterian Christian girl’s basketball season ended at the hands of Madison-Ridgeland Academy.
Down by one possession, the ball kept painfully bouncing off the rim as the clock dwindled at A.E. Wood Coliseum, eventually ending with PCS losing 40-34 to MRA on Monday. Ultimately, the Lady Bobcats couldn’t knock down the shots they wanted as they trailed by one possession in the final two minutes.
“They guard us so well,” PCS coach Drew Smith said. “At the end of the day, we struggled to score at very critical times. We cut it two at several different times in the fourth quarter. We got the shots that we wanted, but we couldn’t just knock them down. I think definitely we played really well in the second half, but I think the first half we let it get away with them scoring 25 points.”
In the last two years, the Lady Patriots (19-3) have defeated PCS in six straight meetings, including three times in the postseason.
“They have beaten us in three straight games when it really mattered in tournament time,” Smith said. They are good. They have a good shot of winning another one. They are really well-coached. I think that when you have so much familiarity with somebody, it’s easier to prepare for them. We knew what to do, but executing the game plan took us half an hour. It took a little too long.
“I’m proud of our effort. We gave ourselves a shot. It’s what we wanted to do, but we didn’t execute in the critical moments, but you have to give (MRA) credit for that, too.”
PCS’ leading scorer, Addyson Sherer, ended her career with a 20-point game that was pivotal in keeping the Lady Bobcats’ within striking distance.
PCS trailed 14-8 in the first quarter, but Sherer knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game at 14-14. However, MRA managed to take a 25-18 lead by halftime.
Out of the second half, the Lady Bobcats pulled within one point after going on an 8-2 run after Sherer made four straight buckets to cut the deficit to 27-26.
“She’s going to get everyone’s best shot defensively,” Smith said. “She is always playing with two people on her and usually a help side person. They take away her outside shot and drive and she still finds ways to make plays. She’s a special player, and we are going to miss her.”
MRA managed to hold a 33-30 lead by the end of the third quarter and knocked down a three-pointer to start the fourth. Sophomore Karly Hunter made it a one-score game with back-to-back shots inside the paint to make the game 36-34. While milking the clock down, the Lady Patriots scored in less than a minute to seal the game. MRA shot 51.7% compared to PCS’ 32.4%, with the Lady Patriots winning the rebound battle 27-13.
PCS graduates just two players, Sherer and Virginia Powell, but brings back four of their starters for next season.
“We started two freshmen, and that’s a good thing moving forward,” Smith said. “There is a lot of returning talent. Last year, we lost four players who played 90% of the minutes, and that was a big loss, but we still found a way to get back here. At some point, we want to break that sealing and win it.”
PCS ends the year with a 27-9 record.
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