The Versailles Republican Sports

PAGE UPDATED BY MARIA SIEVERDING FEBRUARY 25, 2016 1 P.M.

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JCD Lady Eagles win Semi-State
One more to go Lady Eagles!

Gary Franklin
SPORTS EDITOR

Everyone who has witnessed the 2015-16 Jac-Cen-Del Lady Eagles Basketball Team in action, led by Head Coach Scott Smith and assistants Matt McNew, Chad Pindell, Brian Samples and Alyssa Hammond, has found them to be something special. The Jac-Cen-Del Lady Eagles exhibit teamwork at its finest. One player may be expected to get the task done, when in actuality another does the deed that results in victory. It helps that the team has an abundance of good shooters and defensive players. Nonetheless, it takes determination and motivation to see this competition through and that describes this year’s Lady Eagles team in a nutshell. The IHSAA Class 1A Semi-State action with the Jac-Cen-Del Lady Eagles on Saturday, Feb. 20 against the then state ranked #1 Vincennes Rivet Lady Patriots resulted in a three point 46-43 Lady Eagle victory. The JCD Lady Eagles will now go on to the State Finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indy and will open the girls state high school competitions at 10:30 a.m. with a center court tip against the Argos Lady Dragons.

JCD Lady Eagle Mariah Day GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO
Freshman Mariah Day toes the charity stripe to extend JCD’s edge to three points representing the final score recorded in their 2016, 49-46 Final Four Championship Title victory for 26-1 season record in the Jeffersonville High School gym over the then ranked #1 Class 1A Vincennes Rivet Lady Patriots. Patiently observing from center court with 1.1 remaining on the scoreboard clock, above from left are Lady Eagle teammates junior Kayla Bowling, senior sister Jordan Day, and senior Hayley Bruns. Behind Mariah, sophomore teammate Lilly Simon. Awesome job Mariah, coaches and Lady Eagles!

Jac-Cen-Del 13 20 28 46
Vincennes Rivet 8 19 25 43
JCD Lady Eagles 46
22 So Lilly Simon 15
30 Sr Jordan Day 9
12 Jr Kayla Bowling 8
14 Fr Mariah Day 5
55 Jr Rosie Newhart 4
42 Sr Hayley Bruns 3
52 So Morgen Carroll 2
VR Lady Patriots 43
25 So Kelsey Ivers 18
54 Grace Waggoner 11
14 Katie Donovan 8
23 Anna Donovan 6

Game breakdown
Quarter One
Lady Eagle sophomore Lilly Simon opened game scoring to give JCD a 3-0 edge with her downtown delivery at 6:15. VR Ivers scored a three to make it 3-3. The Lady Eagles recaptured the lead off a pair of FT connections by senior Jordan Day (30). Lady Patriot Grace Waggoner knotted the game at six with her 3-point delivery, with teammate Ivers adding a FG score to capture their first lead at 8-6 over JCD. With the clock at 2:48, old faithful, JCD Lady Eagle junior Kayla Bowling nailed a 3-pointer to give the Lady Eagles the 9-8 edge. Bowling followed with another FG score followed by sophomore teammate Morgen Carroll’s (52) deposit of a FG for the 13-8 end of the first total.

Quarter Two
Three consecutive FG scores by the Lady Patriots resulted in a VR lead at 15-13 by the 6:04 mark. Lady Eagle junior Rosie Newhart (55) knotted the score at 15 from the charity stripe with her two connections, followed by junior teammate Lilly Simon (22) netting a FG for the 17-15 two point JCD momentary lead. VR Ivers scored a FG for the tie at 17, followed by a Lady Eagle Newhart FG score for the lead along with Bowling's delivery of a free throw for JCD's 20-17 lead. A discretionary call sent VR to the charity stripe at period's end where they connected for the pair, ending first half scoring at JCD 20-19 VR. Obviously a game between two teams that deserved to have shared the IHSAA Class #1 Girls Basketball state rankings over the entire 2015-16 season.

Quarter Three
A pair of FT connections by VR allowed them to capture a one-point edge at 21-20 over JCD in the early going of the third period; however, a FG scored by Lady Eagle Simon put JCD back on top 22-21. Vincennes Rivet’s Donovan scored a FG that was responded to by JCD Lady Eagle Simon’s FG score, followed by a pair of back to back FG scores by teammate Jordan Day to stretch the distance between the two teams to its greatest at that point, five, JCD 28-23 VR. With a mere five ticks remaining in the third quarter, VR's Katie Donovan's FG score cut the differential to three headed into the final period.

Quarter Four
The Finale!
Lady Patriot Donovan opened scoring in the final stanza with a FT connection; however, Lady Eagle Simon drove for and deposited a layup for the 30-26, four point Lady Eagle edge at the 6:37 mark. Back to back VR FG scores knotted the contest at 30, before Lady Eagle Jordan Day drilled a much needed three -pointer putting the Lady Eagles back in the drivers seat. Unwilling to go away, VR captured back top back FG scores to claim the one point edge at 34-33 at the 3:54 mark. This game is for real, all the marbles are on the table, and at this point in the season, mess up and you’re headed home. Boom! Old faithful erupts and Kayla Bowling nails the FG score for a JCD one point edge at 35-34. No time for celebration here, as VR scores a 3-pointer to gain a two point advantage at 37-35 at the 3:08 mark. The Lady Eagles utilize nearly a minute of the clock before Simon adds a FG score to knot the game at 37. Vincennes Rivet counters with a FG for the two point 39-37 advantage. That's when the “lights begin to go out in Georgia,” as Lady Eagle freshman Mariah Day stepped up and delivered a crushing 3-pointer, regaining the lead and the odd point count of a one point lead at 40-39 for JCD. Day’s execution seemed to deeply ground the Lady Eagles resolve to see this process through as teammate Simon added consecutive FT scores for the three point edge at 42-39. A pair of VR FT scores and a one point differential at 43 seconds was all that separated the teams. Down the stretch, a pair of Eagle Hayley Bruns FT connections were answered by a VR field goal. Bruns again added a FT score of two offered and freshman Mariah Day sealed the final score count from the charity stripe, connecting on one of two offered for the 46-43 victory final score.