Tioga County Sports ReportWINDSOR — Owego Free Academy, trailed by double-digits in the first quarter, but rallied to pull out a 56-52 overtime win over Windsor here Wednesday night in STAC girls basketball action.
"I’m incredibly proud of our effort, determination, and execution down the stretch," said OFA coach Luke McEvoy. "We battled for all 36 minutes of this overtime thriller.
"Despite dealing with injuries, illness, and foul trouble, every player stepped up in their role and delivered when their number was called.
"We dug ourselves an early hole as Windsor executed well in the first half, while our shots weren't falling and our defensive communication wasn't quite up to our standards," noted McEvoy.
"However, we regrouped at halftime. The girls stayed resilient and put our program’s 'stay ready - next play' philosophy into action," McEvoy added.
McEvoy gave kudos to several players after the win.
"This was hands down the best game Eva Crawford has played in her young career; seeing her confidence grow in real-time is a testament to her hard work," he said.
"Defensively, the individual efforts of Keely Wicklund and Katelyn Dodge were key to our comeback.
"Even when Jenna McEvoy saw shots rattling out early, she stayed aggressive and got hot in the fourth quarter," noted McEvoy.
"To see newcomers like Payton Newman and Shirina Harris step into a high-pressure OT game and do exactly what was asked of them shows the heart of this team," he added.
The Black Knights rolled out to a 20-9 lead after the first eight minutes, and upped the lead to 32-20 at the half.
Marielle Searles scored nine points in the first half and Jenna McEvoy added six to keep the River Hawks in the game.
In the third quarter, Eva Crawford and Searles scored four points apiece and the Owego defense slowed Windsor's offense in an 11-5 spurt that closed the gap to 37-31 heading into the final eight minutes.
McEvoy knocked down a pair of 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter, and finished the stanza with 12 points, while Crawford add five points as OFA outscored Windsor, 17-11, to tie the game at 48-48 and force overtime.
Crawford scored six points in overtime to lift the River Hawks to the win.
McEvoy led Owego with 21 points, three assists, five steals, and one blocked shot, while Crawford pumped in 19 points and hauled down 13 rebounds, and Searles scored 13 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and blocked three shots.
Jana Nikulich grabbed eight and dished out five assists in the win, while Katelyn Dodge added three assists, and Keely Wicklund chipped in with three rebounds.
Charley Carr and Berkley Ingram led Windsor with 11 points apiece.
Owego, now 3-2, hosts Oneonta Friday.
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IN PHOTO: Owego Free Academy's Eva Crawford. ... TCSR STOCK PHOTO.
