Medomak Valley girls basketball team defeated Lincoln Academy 46-45 on Dec. 18 in Newcastle. The game was all it was billed to be, a foot race from start to finish with nine lead changes and four ties.
Freshman Alanna Vose gave the Panthers the lead for good with about two minutes to play. Kari Jones hit two at the foul line to pull the Eagles within one. The final minute and a half was a whirlwind of turnovers, and scoreless play with a number of missed opportunities on both sides.
Lincoln inbounded the ball under their own basket with seven seconds to go, but were unable to capitalize. A last ditch shot with .9 seconds to go on an inbound ball at half court failed to fall.
After the dust settled on a sloppy first quarter that saw Lincoln turn the ball over 10 times and Medomak five, the Eagles clung to a narrow 9-8 lead. After exchanging hoops in the second, the Panthers hit back to back threes from Jasmyn Rose and Lindsay Ranquist to take a five point lead.
Lincoln went on an 8-1 run with four points each from Jones and Stephanie Winchenbach to recapture the lead. Erica Tolman knotted the score, before the Eagles went on a 6-3 run, sparked by a 3-pointer from Marni Jones, to lead 25-22 at the half.
Medomak buckled down on defense in the third frame, holding the Eagles to three points, while scoring 11 to take the lead for good, 33-28 at the end of three.
The Lady Panthers led by as many as 7 points in the fourth. Winchenbach scored on a M. Jones feed and netted two at the line, and M. Jones scored on a feed from her sister Kari to pull Lincoln within one. Alanna Vose boosted the Panther lead to three, before K. Jones settled two at the line to make it a one point game with over a minute and a half to go. Lincoln was unable to score in the final minute and half, as the Panthers held on for the one point victory.
Scoring for Medomak were Ranquist 10 (3S), Lacy Massengale 9, (2R,4S) Jasmyn Rose 6 (4R), Maria Jenkins 5 (5R), Erica Tolman 5, Nicole Weaver 5, Alanna Vose 4 (4R,4S), and Danielle Dyer 2. Scoring for Lincoln were Winchenbach 17 (6R,2B), K. Jones 14 (4R,4S,2B,3A), M. Jones 8, Laura Soohey 4 and Kassie Lincoln 2 (5R).