MINFORD — The Lady Falcons got a layup from Emma Carter off a fast-break assist by Makenna Enz followed by bucket by Ava Flaig with three minutes left in the game to boost Minford to a 35-31 come-from-behind non-conference win over Marietta on Saturday at Minford High School.
Minford (6-3) trailed the Lady Tigers 26-23 at the end of the third quarter after blowing a 19-14 halftime lead.
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With 2:47 to go in the third quarter, Minford head coach Chuck Miller called a time after a Lady Tigers’ 7-4 run gave Marietta a 23-21 lead.
“I challenged them,” Miller said. “I can be a little fiery. We’ve been talking about this all year. These girls have been sitting and watching us win the last couple of years, and now it’s their turn. I put that in front of them.”
The Lady Falcons responded and started the fourth period out with a steal by Carter that resulted in a swish bucket from the top of the key by Enz to cut the Lady Tiger lead to 26-25.
Minford’s Kerigan Davis nailed two free throws to give her squad a 27-26 lead with 6:02 to go in regulation.
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Davis finished the game with 16 points, six rebounds and two steals for the Lady Falcons.
“We played good as a team,” Davis said. “We played Marietta last year and we expected a lot from them. Our defense held up in the first quarter and we moved the ball around in the first half.”
After Minford grabbed the lead off the basket by Flaig, Marietta (4-6) was forced to foul and the Lady Falcons banged in two of four attempts — one by Davis and one by Carter — to hold on to the 35-31 win.
“They are learning how to win these close games,” Miller said. “That was what I challenged them with in the third quarter. It’s time to elevate the game and they did. I think our 2-3 defense in the fourth quarter just mixed them up a little bit. We don’t play 2-3 much and it gave (Marietta) fits. They had a hard time getting shots and we rotated very well.”
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Minford and Marietta were tied 10-10 at the end of the opening period. But the Lady Falcons outscored the Lady Tigers 9-4 and went on a 7-0 run toward the end of the quarter.
Flaig ignited the run with a put back from an offensive board followed by a three-point play from Davis and another hoop off an assist by Enz, who added to the lead with an offensive rebound for two points of her own.
“We had good rhythm in the first half and got shots to drop,” Davis said. “We had a good lead and lost it in the third and got it back in the fourth when it mattered. We pulled it out and I was happy with that.”
Carter finished the game for the Lady Falcons with five points and three steals while Enz added four points, three assists and two steals. Flaig knocked down six points and had five rebounds while Lainey Howard added four points, three rebounds and two steals in the win.
Minford (6-3) begins a busy week on Monday as the Lady Falcons are scheduled to play three SOC III contests in four days, beginning with a road test at Waverly.
