Tale of two halves

FORT RECOVERY - The first half was the best of times for Coldwater.

The second half might not have been the worst of times for Coldwater, but it was much better for Fort Recovery.

The Cavaliers saw a 17-point halftime lead dwindle to one point with five minutes to play in regulation. The Indians were determined to complete the rally, but Coldwater came up with just enough to escape Fort Site Fieldhouse with a 48-41 victory in Midwest Athletic Conference girls basketball action on Thursday.

The Indians' full-court press gave the Cavaliers fits in the second half. After turning the ball over just four times in the first half, Coldwater turned it over six times in the third quarter and seven times in the final period.

"Tale of two halves," said Coldwater coach Amy Meyer. "We just didn't execute very well. We had turnovers. The press-break is pretty simple if you execute it. When you don't it becomes a difficult situation."

For Fort Recovery coach, Holly Gann, the second-half Tribe is the team she believes the Indians could be.

"You saw two different teams on that floor tonight: the team that we were and the team that we know we could be," Gann said of her squad. "First half we had some struggles and we challenged the girls at halftime, knowing we've worked as hard as any other team. (Second half) you saw the team that we could become and a team that some teams might be nervous about us."

The first half recipe for Coldwater was a hearty serving of Riley Rismiller, who dominated the paint in making all eight of her field goal tries to go with a free throw for 17 points. The Cavaliers opened the game with an 11-0 run as the Indians did not score until a Kensey Gaerke free throw with 1:44 remaining in the first quarter.

Coldwater was up 28-10 with 28 seconds remaining in the half before Alexis Wendel knocked down a 3-pointer with seven seconds left, only to have Rismiller hit her final basket of the half with two seconds left to give the Cavs a 30-13 lead at the break.

The second half started innocently enough, with Fort Recovery's Whitley Rammel hitting a free throw, but it became a sight seen often in the second half. Another sight was Coldwater struggling with keeping hold of the ball as the Indians applied a full-court trap. The Cavaliers turned the ball over four of their first five possessions of the second half, including a 10-second call when Coldwater could not get the ball past half court.

Slowly but surely, the Indians began to whittle away at the Coldwater margin. By the end of three quarters, the Indians were within nine. In the first 2 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter, things got much closer. Mara Peason - the Indians' leading scorer coming into the game, who was held scoreless in the first half - hit several big shots, and Rammel's free throw shooting got the Indians closer and closer. Pearson's bucket with 5:20 remaining in regulation made it a 37-36 game.

"These are great opportunities and I'm glad the girls can be put in them," said Gann. "We all need to learn and grow together. When it comes down to the wire like that, you have to stand back and talk through those opportunities."

The Cavaliers quickly got some breathing room on a Claire Steinke bucket with just over five minutes to play and then Steinke hit a free throw to make it a four-point game. Over a minute came off the clock with neither team being able to get a bucket until Jenna Leugers scored with 3:18 to play to make it 42-36. Rammel and Rismiller began trading free throws as Coldwater kept the margin at six or better for the rest of the game.

"In the end, kids stepped up, got a few steals and a few layups," said Meyer. "We hit free throws and rebounds at the end when we needed them.

"Anytime you lose your momentum, it's hard to get back. But I think they persevered and worked hard together with enough good plays to finish the game."

"In the second half I said 'This is a great team to watch,' " said Gann. "This is the team we've been working hard for."

Rismiller made all nine of her field goal attempts in the game - albeit just one in the second half - to finish with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Leugers and Steinke each added nine.

Rammel led the Indians with 13 points, all coming at the foul line as she was 0-for-6 from from floor but 13-of-16 from the stripe before fouling out late.

"You would have never thought that," said Gann of Rammel, normally a 45.5% free throw shooter. "A few years ago, we would have thought 'Oh, no. She might not hit the basket.' What you saw is what Whitley can do."

Pearson added 12 points.

Fort Recovery is off until next Thursday when the Indians host Minster in MAC play. Coldwater travels to face Shawnee at Lappin Gymnasium on Tuesday.