"It Can't Get Any Getter Than This": Big Win for ACGC Girls

"It doesn't get any better than this," is a phrase that probably gets overused to describe an event that has a euphoric quality to it. However, Thursday night's ACGC basketball games with Earlham were so thrilling that it really couldn't get any better, especially if you are an ACGC fan. Not so much it you are an Earlham fan.

Both the Charger girls' and boys' teams held off the Cardinals to win their respective games. The ACGC girls won in double overtime, 69-68, while the boys claimed a 51-48 win. (The boys' game is covered in a separate article) Of course no one person wins a game by her or himself, but it is the individual who scores the game winner that gets most of the attention.

In the girls' game it was Earlham's Lilly Conry who scored to put the game into overtime at 54 points for each team. A temporary heroine. ACGC's Saige O'Brien hit a three pointer buzzer beater to tie the score at the end of the first overtime at 61-61. Another temporary heroine.

The second overtime found the Cardinals leading 68-67 with under thirty seconds remaining. Alaina Bunde scored six points in the second overtime to keep the Chargers close. And once again: a temporary heroine.

With 0:15 on the clock, Charger freshman Shae Lemke drove near the baseline to the basket and banked in a layup which proved the be the game winner. Not a temporary heroine! Following an Earlham timeout, the Cardinals' Cora Boyle attempted a contested three pointer and missed to close out the game. Chargers win 69-68!

"This was a season defining win," Charger mentor Brad Baudler said about what was a significant win for his team. "We fought all game and found a way. I am proud of our grit and unity in coming back and pull off a crazy game. It was a team win that the girls are excited about."

The Chargers trailed through most of the game, taking its very first lead at 44-43 with six minutes remaining in regulation. The teams traded baskets throughout the remainder of the game until Lemke's game winner.

Three Chargers scored in double figures led by O'Brien's season high 19 points. Bunde came up with 18 and Reagan Carney netted 11. Bunde's 10 rebounds gave the senior center a double double for the game. O'Brien led the team in both assists and steals with five in both cases.

As a team, ACGC shot 35.8% from the floor but struggled from the free throw line, hitting just 50% on 14 makes out of 28 tries. Unofficial stats indicated that Earlham shot 39% from the field on 13 makes of 33 attempts, while making 4 of 9 free throws. High point honors for the game go to Earlham's Boyle and Conry who each scored 24 points.

The win improves the ACGC season record to 8-5 which includes a 6-3 mark in conference play. Earlham's record falls to 5-4 in league play and 8-4 overall.

Score by quarter:

Earl 16 15 12 11 7 7--68

ACGC 6 16 18 14 7 8--69

ACGC statistics: (TP-REB-ASTS-STLS) Dorsey(7-3-3-4) Carney(11-4-1-4) Bunde(18-10-2-3) O'Brien(19-3-5-5) Richter(4-6-0-1) Van Meter(3-1-0-0) Lemke(2-2-2-2) Coffman(3-2-1-1) Buttler(2-0-0-0)