Facing its first losing streak of the season, the Park Hill South girls’ basketball team (9-3) erased a first half double-digit deficit to fight back and defeat Staley (5-4) 61-51 on Jan. 9.
Park Hill South senior Tatum Kells backs down a Staley defender in the second half of the Lady Panthers come-from-behind 61-51 win on Jan. 9.
Park Hill South trailed by seven points at the half and was trailing for the prior 14:09 of game time until Addison Bjorn scored a putback layup midway through the third quarter to put the Lady Panthers up 34-33. Staley hit three shots from behind the arc in the final 3:06, but Regan Williams scored the last five points of the quarter.
After converting a layup with 24 seconds left, Williams helped Park Hill South keep Staley from scoring on the other end. With the clock ticking, Ava Miles brought the ball across half court on the left side and was picked up by a couple of defenders and then found Williams right inside center court and the junior pulled up and swished a deep buzzer beating shot.
Park Hill South had a tight 45-44 advantage heading into the final eight minutes and there were two ties and two lead changes in the first 1:32 of the fourth quarter. When Bjorn put the Lady Panthers back up 50-48 with a right wing 3-pointer with 6:28 to play, they never trailed again.
Park Hill South milked some clock, played good defense and took advantage of its trips to the charity stripe to extend the lead to double digits.
The Lady Falcons shot the lights out from downtown, sinking 10 shots from behind the arc on the game, five of which were in the first quarter. Staley’s hot shooting helped put it up 26-16 in the opening minute of the second quarter, but three different Lady Panthers scored in the next 1:25 to bring the game to within one possession.
Both defenses locked up in the final four minutes as there were no made field goals, only free throws, and Staley led 33-26 at the break. Four of Park Hill South’s starters scored in double figures, led by Bjorn with 19, Miles with 15, Williams with 13 and Avery Simmons with 10.
Before Park Hill South’s third Silver Division win in just as many tries, the squad traveled to St. Louis to play a pair of teams that aren’t typically on the schedule. The Lady Panthers fell 66-55 to Vashon on Jan. 6 and lost 78-50 to Incarnate Word Academy on Jan. 7.