After making school history with their first-ever state tournament victory, the Eureka Lady Tornadoes returned to the court in semifinal action to face the tournament’s top seed, the Ellinwood Eagles. From the opening tip, it was clear Eureka would face a major size disadvantage.
Despite the height mismatch, the Lady Tornadoes controlled the opening tip. However, it took several possessions before either team found the scoreboard. Finally, Brenna Rucker grabbed one of her 17 rebounds and quickly pushed the ball ahead to Britta Mongeau, who streaked down the court for a layup to get Eureka on the board.
Offense proved difficult early against the Eagles’ length. Eureka managed just a free throw from Rucker over several possessions, but the Lady Tornado defense kept the game tight. Mongeau knocked down a corner three-pointer to give Eureka momentum, but Ellinwood answered with a three of their own to take a 7-6 lead. Just before the end of the quarter, Elle Coulter snaked through the defense and finished a layup at the rim, putting Eureka back in front 8-7 after one.
In the second quarter, a defensive miscommunication allowed Ellinwood to capitalize with backto- back three-pointers. Rucker and Coulter helped steady the Lady Tornadoes with five and four points respectively in the period, but the Eagles carried a narrow 17-15 lead into halftime.
The third quarter turned into an offensive shootout as both teams poured in 18 points. Rucker opened the scoring by attacking the lane and finishing over Ellinwood’s 6’2 post player. The Eagles responded with a quick seven-point run, stretching their lead to 2517 and forcing a Eureka timeout.
After several empty possessions by both teams, Rucker broke the drought with a deep three- pointer. Ellinwood answered with a fortunate bounce that resulted in a basket, but Rucker again created offense by finding Coulter open for another deep three that cut the deficit to three. Each time Eureka threatened, Ellinwood responded from beyond the arc. Rucker connected on a turnaround jumper and Mongeau added a driving layup, but the Eagles maintained a slim 35-33 lead heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter was just as intense. Coulter found Mongeau in the corner for a three-pointer that gave the Lady Tornadoes their first lead since the opening quarter. Eureka continued to battle, but late in the game the Lady Tornadoes were forced to foul while trailing by five.
Even then, Eureka refused to back down. Coulter found Arabella Shepherd in the corner for a clutch three-pointer to cut the lead to just two points. After Ellinwood split a pair of free throws, the Lady Tornadoes had one final opportunity to tie or win the game. Mongeau’s three-point attempt at the buzzer was just off the mark as Ellinwood escaped with a narrow 50-47 victory.
Rucker led the Lady Tornadoes with 17 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 assists. Coulter added 14 points, Mongeau finished with 13, and Shepherd contributed 3.
