Lady Leopards Holds Off McKinley’s Comeback in Overtime Thriller
The Louisville Leopards girls basketball team defeated the Canton McKinley Lady Bulldogs 55-49 in a overtime thriller on a Christmas Eve Eve Saturday afternoon. Despite allowing a fourth quarter comeback by the Bulldogs to force overtime, the Leopards managed to hold on to defeat the Bulldogs for the first time in 31 years.
1st Half of Play
The 1st half of play concluded in a tightly knotted 25-22 Louisville lead over McKinley, with Ursuline commit Guard Brooke Haren leading the half with 14 points for the Leopards, while Guard Mya Taylor led the half with 8 points for the Bulldogs.
Haren and Barwick Gives the Leopards a Big 3rd Quarter Lead
In the 3rd quarter of play, the Leopards, led by Haren and Guard Courtney Barwick, combined for 12 of the 17 3rd quarter points to put the Leopards up 42-33 going into the 4th quarter. Haren knocked down 3 shots, while Barwick tallied up 2 3 pointers to widen the lead gap over the Bulldogs.
McKinley’s Fourth Quarter Comeback and Overtime
Down 9 with 8 minutes left to go, the Bulldogs were looking for a way to make a comeback. Bulldogs Guards Mya Taylor and Kylonee Foster took charge and bulldozed their way through the Leopard defense to force a 4 minute overtime period. Unfortunately, the Lady Bulldogs were unable to break the Leopards completely, as key free throws by Brooke Haren gave Louisville their 1st win over McKinley since 1992 in overtime.
Final Stats:
Leopard’s Guard Brooke Haren finished with a game-high 27 points on the day, including 6/6 from the line in OT to put the game away. Guard Courtney Barwick followed with 12 points, while Taylor McCully added 10 points. For the Bulldogs, Guard Mya Taylor led with 22 points, while Guard Kylonee Foster added 15 points.
What’s Next?
With the win, the Louisville Leopards advanced to 7-2 and will host the Archbishop Hoban Knights on December 28 at 2:30pm. With the loss, the Canton McKinley Bulldogs fell to 4-5 and will host the Green Bulldogs on January 5 at 5:30pm.