NORTH VERNON — When Addyson Kent hit a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter to cap off a big comeback from Jennings County, the Panthers looked to have plenty of momentum heading into the fourth.
Whitley Rankin proved to be the game changer.
The Olympians senior veteran didn’t light up the scoreboard offensively, but it was her defensive effort that made a big difference in holding Kent to zero fourth quarter points. Coupled with solid free-throw shooting in the end, East escaped with a 64-54 Hoosier Hills Conference girls basketball victory Thursday night.
“Anytime that you have someone that can shoot like Addyson Kent, you never have the game. You’re never behind in their situation, and how she hit that one to end the third quarter, I don’t know, but I’d seen enough,” East coach Danny Brown said. “We put Whit on her, and she did a great job, and shut her out in the fourth quarter. That was real big for us.”
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Rankin was never fazed in tackling that huge defensive role.
“They put me on (Kent) in the fourth quarter, and I just couldn’t let her get the ball because I know she’s a great shooter and can shoot it from anywhere,” Rankin said. “You can be up in her face, and she’ll make it, so I had to keep track of her and get in her face every time she got the ball and try to keep the ball out of her hands.”
Koryn Greiwe finished with a game-high 29 points that included going 14 for 16 from the free-throw line to lead the Olympians. Gabby Dean added 10 points.
Kent finished with 17 points to lead the Panthers. Lily Ernstes added 15.
“I practice my free throws a lot, so I’m confident with them going in,” Greiwe said. “I knew we needed that so when they went it, that sealed the game … but I do have to credit the (fourth-quarter) defense to Whitley. I know it’s not easy guarding (Kent), and she definitely helped us out.”
East (13-7, 4-2) was settling for open perimeter shots early that didn’t fall, and that with a coupled of transitions from Jennings (7-13, 1-5) had the Panthers ahead 6-0.
After the Olympians settled down, they started to move the ball around better with Greiwe and Rankin each knocking down triples that kick-started a 14-6 run for a 14-12 lead. Ernstes had a chance to put the Panthers after she was fouled on her made field goal, but her free throw was off, and the score was tied at 16-16.
East got out in front 21-18 in the second quarter, but then a Kent 3-pointer tied the game at 21-21. The Olympians kept themselves up front by executing at the line, but gave up too many baskets in the paint kept the Panthers in distance 29-25 at the half.
East built its largest lead at 42-33 midway through the third quarter, but Jennings came back to finish out the quarter on a 10-2 run after a buzzer-beating 3 from Kent made it 44-43 entering the fourth.
“Throughout the night, we had to make personnel changes because of their size,” Jennings coach Kristi Sigler said. “I think that led to us being stagnant in the fourth quarter. They face-guarded (Kent), and I thought we sped up in that fourth quarter and turned the basketball. We can’t do that. We have to make big plays. We did a lot of positive things. They was probably seven possessions that made the difference and killed us in the game.
This was Rankin’s, as well as fellow senior Katie Dougherty’s, first time beating Jennings in their four years in the Olympian program after falling short the three previous times.
“We had to keep the mentality to hit our free throws and close it out, and we did, so it was good,” Rankin said. “It feels good to beat Jennings County and get a big conference win on the road.”
