By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
HAMMOND – This time, the last minute went John Curtis’ way.
Fourth-seeded Huntington started badly, scrapped back, and charged down the stretch Thursday afternoon at Marsh Madness in Select Division I girls basketball, but the Lady Raiders didn’t quite finish well enough to defend their state championship and repeat last year’s semifinal upset of top-seeded John Curtis.
Huntington (20-10) fell 44-42 as No. 1 John Curtis (26-1) successfully evaded attempts by the Lady Raiders to foul, winding precious seconds off the clock in the final minute while the Patriots were clinging to a slim lead. That time would have come in handy in the closing seconds, after Huntington senior Kyndal Graham nailed a cold-blooded 3-pointer from the top of the key with just under 10 seconds left that got her team within 43-42.
Graham was saddled with four fouls, and as Huntington’s best scoring threat, couldn’t afford to foul out. Teammates were unable to chase down Curtis guard Bailey Timmons off the inbound pass until two seconds remained. She made just the second of a two-shot trip to the line, but the Lady Raiders were only able to muster a 75-foot heave at the buzzer that appeared on line, but fell a few feet short of a miracle.
A year ago, Huntington made the plays in the closing seconds in a 61-59 upset of a Curtis program that reached the state finals for the previous eight years.
The Lady Raiders didn’t wilt Thursday after falling behind 10-1 in the first quarter. They closed to 16-15 in the second period and trailed 26-21 at halftime, before the Patriots upped the spread to seven in the third period and led 41-36 with 39 seconds to go.
A long 3-point bomb off glass by sophomore Kendal Stevenson with 29 seconds remaining drew the Lady Raiders within 42-39. Curtis finally got sent to the line with 16 seconds left, and Ke’sonja Nelson drained her two chances. However, Graham responded with her trey, the last of a 22-point outing by the senior who had played such a decisive role in last year’s stunning comeback over Curtis.
That 3-pointer got Huntington within 44-42, but the clock (0:02) favored the Patriots and after a Curtis timeout, the Patriots successfully denied a long pass and the Lady Raiders’ only inbounds option was too far away for a legitimate game-winning effort.
It was the sixth semifinal appearance in the last seven years for coach Brian Shyne’s Huntington program.
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