Picking the turning point of the District V girls basketball championship game between No. 6 Meade and No. 9 Glenelg is difficult.
Was it Glenelg's zone, its 3-point shots, Emily Russo's 26 points, Sam Heisig's rebounds, the underhand layup Danielle Burris made from an impossible angle or something else that was the tipping point in the Gladiators' 59-55 overtime victory?
"When they came back in the third quarter and they won that quarter, we started giving up and getting frustrated," Meade's Imani Bailey said. "We can't get frustrated when it's not going our way." With a balanced offense, Meade had a 25-16 lead at the half in the rematch of last year's District V game, also won by Glenelg.
Glenelg was putting up shots, but not hitting them. At the Meade end of the floor, forward Diamond Henson had 10 points from a combination of short bank shots and free throws.
"We definitely went into the locker room frustrated," Burris said. "All season, no matter what the score, we know we have to come out stronger. We never gave up, and I think that's what Meade expected us to do." Instead Glenelg switched to a 3-2 zone to shut off Meade's inside game.
"That was good strategy move for them," Meade coach Reggie Leach said. "Our guards weren't able to slash through the zone as much, and our post players had to attack from the baseline, but one of our best post players [Jamie McKeiter] fouled out."
While Russo carried her team through the first half, scoring 12 of Glenelg's 16 points, she got scoring help after halftime. The Gladiators went on a 14-3 run late in the third quarter to draw within two points of Meade.
"It seemed like the momentum switched. The first half they had it and in the second half, it came to us," Burris said.
The Gladiators hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter to help swing the momentum.
"I've always said if our 3s drop, the complexion of the game changes," Glenelg coach Don Beall said.
"Once we started hitting our outside shots and attacking, that's how we got back in the game," Russo said. "It was a huge team effort."
Glenelg went ahead in the fourth quarter, but Bailey tied the score at 49 with 25 seconds left in regulation. She was fouled on the shot but missed her free throw.
Each team had the opportunity to win in the closing seconds of regulation.
Glenelg missed two scoring opportunities, Meade rebounded both, but turned the ball over and the game went to overtime.
Meade jumped out in front 52-49 in the extra period, but Glenelg wasn¹t ready to lose.
Russo scored seven points in overtime.
"Emily once again just took over the game," Beall said.
M
—Bailey 19, Henson 13, McKeither 11, Witty 6, Jackson 4, Banks 2.
G
—Russo 26, Heisig 12, Yuan 8, Parker 6, Burris 4, Kittleman 3.
Half:
Meade, 25-16.