Columbus North looked to be on its way of securing a win Thursday night against Roncalli on the Bull Dogs’ senior night.
The Rebels had other plans.
Roncalli finished regulation on an 8-2 run to force overtime, and in the extra session, the Rebels got the edge to give the Bull Dogs a 56-50 loss.
It was an emotional night for seniors Annie Anderson, Sierra Norman, Tessa Lomax and Riley Eder, who were honored before the game.
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“It felt pretty good going into our last (regular season) game at Memorial Gym,” Lomax said. “We’ve been playing together for quite awhile, and honestly, they’re my sisters, and it felt good to play and start with them tonight.”
Alexa McKinley and Eder helped North (15-8) jump out to a 6-1 lead, but Roncalli (16-6) came back to take a 10-9 lead after the first quarter.
That changed in the second quarter when Madison White, Norman, and Lauren Barker all hit 3-pointers during a 9-4 run for an 18-14 lead. After a Rebel basket, Norman extended the lead with a couple baskets to make it 22-16. Roncalli then finished the first half on an 11-0 run to lead 27-22 at halftime.
“I knew it was a really special opportunity, and I was going to give it all I had,” Eder said. “It was a really good chance to show my skills and play with my girls that I don’t necessarily get to play with all the time, so I was going to use it to my advantage. I was going to use the energy I bring to the sideline into the game, and I thought I did that fairly well.”
A couple of 3s from Anderson and White tied the game at 28-28 in the third quarter following a 6-1 run. But Roncalli’s Alana Vinson took control of the offense scoring all eight points in an 8-2 run for to push the Rebels ahead 36-30. The Bull Dogs trailed 39-37 heading into the fourth.
McKinley hit a couple of 3s to push North ahead 45-39, setting up Roncalli’s comeback.
Vinson finished with a game-high 31 for the Rebels. McKinley had a team-high 16 points, and Norman added 13 for the Bull Dogs.
“I tried not to let it get to me that it was my last time at Memorial Gym,” Norman said. “Hopefully, we can get back here for regional, but the emotions were really high. Both teams were playing really hard. It was a really physical night. You can just tell that tonight really meant something to us.”
North begins play in the Bloomington South Sectional, where it faces Bloomington North at around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Should the Bull Dogs advance, it will set up another meeting with crosstown rival Columbus East on Feb. 7.
“We just have to keep our attitude good and focusing on the energy and vibes we bring and just executing,” Anderson said. “We just need to be sharper, and everything will come along.”
