Brynn Leschber scored five of her teamhigh 15 points in the overtime period and helped lead the Thrall Tigerettes (4-3) to a 48-45 overtime win over the Bruceville-Eddy Lady Eagles (3-3) Tuesday. It was also the Tigerettes third straight win this season.
It was a battle from the start. Bruceville-Eddy took a 7-6 lead after the opening period. Kalli Speasmaker, who led all scorers with 16 points, score three, and teammate Emily Hill added four in the opening stanza to stake the Lady Eagles to the lead.
Bruceville-Eddy extended the lead to two, at 19-17 by halftime. It was Thrall’s balanced scoring attack that kept them in the game. The Lady Eagles were unable to focus on just one player and the Tigerettes were able to take advantage of that. Leschber led the way in the second with four points, but Avery Ochoa, CeCe Walker, who had 14 on the night, and Kinley Hoffman, who scored 13, all added points that kept the Tigerettes in the game.
It was Hoffman who helped the Tigerettes draw even in the third period. Her three-pointer, along with another short jumper and a pair of free throws, along with Walker’s four points, gave Thrall a 13-11 scoring edge in the quarter and knotted the score at 30 entering the fourth period.
Neither team could grab the advantage in the fourth quarter as they continued to trade blows at both ends of the court. Hoffman’s steal and lay-up with 4:40 to play put the Tigerettes ahead 37-34, but the Lady Eagles scored the next five points, all by Speasmaker, to retake the lead 39-37 with 1:54 to play in regulation.
Leschber’s jumper in the paint drew the Tigerettes even at 39 apiece, and Miranda Richter’s jumper from the right side gave Thrall the advantage with just under a minute to play in the period. But, Hill hit a short jumper that tied the game once again with 37 seconds on the clock. Both teams had a chance to take the lead in the closing seconds, but both missed free throws with under 15 seconds to play to force overtime.
The teams traded buckets to open the overtime period, but Leschber hit one of two shots from the charity stripe with 3:08 to play in the extra period to give the Tigerettes a 44-43 lead. A minute later she hit a shot from the paint and Thrall led 46-43. Each team added one more bucket, but Thrall was able to hang on for the win.
Thrall will be at home on Tuesday when they host the Lexington Lady Eagles (3-1). They will host the fifth annual Thrall Tigers tournament beginning with pool play on Thursday.
