Photo by TRAVIS DAVID | Sullivan junior Ally McKinney drives through traffic on her way to a bucket in the second half against Linton-Stockton Tuesday night. McKinney helped lead the Lady Arrows to a win in the opening round of the Class 2A North Knox Sectional.

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BY TRAVIS DAVID
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BICKNELL — Experience matters.

The Linton-Stockton girls basketball team used a pair of freshmen to head a late fourth-quarter rally forcing overtime against Sullivan Tuesday night.

But in crunch time, the Lady Arrows turned to its bread and butter, senior Jacie Wilson.

Junior Ally McKinney found Wilson in the post for a bucket to break a 41-all tie with 42.1 seconds left in the extra session. The tie-breaking basket in the paint was the difference as Sullivan picked up a 44-41 win in the opening game of the Class 2A North Knox Sectional.

With the win over their arch rivals, the Lady Arrows will face No. 1 ranked South Knox in Friday night’s first semifinal contest.

When asked about the assist to Wilson in overtime, McKinney was only certain of one thing.

“I don’t really recall much about the play but I just remember seeing only one girl on her and I knew I had to get the ball down there in her hands,” the Lady Arrows’ guard said. 

The assist was McKinney’s fifth and final helper of the night to go along with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Sullivan freshman Rigley Goodman split a pair of free throws with 20 ticks left on the clock for the final tally of the game. 

An off-balanced three-pointer, by the Miners, in the final seconds clanked harmlessly off the front of the rim.

The postseason win also avenged a 51-45 loss to the Miners in last week’s regular season finale.

Sullivan head coach Vance Edmondson did not hesitate when asked what the biggest difference was in the two games.

“Jacie Wilson,” he said. “Just the way they have to try and defend her and she is difficult to officiate against as well. And we made some shots from the outside as well which also helped open up some things for Jacie on the inside.”

Wilson was injured (ankle) for the regular season matchup against the Miners last week.

Linton forced overtime by scoring the final six points of the fourth frame.

Freshman Audrey Sullivan sparked the late rally with a triple from the right wing with just under two minutes left in regulation. The talented freshmen later knocked home a pair of free throws with 26 seconds left to tie the contest.

Avari Kelley had given the Arrows a 39-33 lead with a three with 3:07 left on the clock before the Miners’ comeback.

On their final possession of the fourth, the Arrows could not score on a contested drive and the Miners missed a chance at the win as well.

The two teams were all square after the first eight minutes of play before the Sullivan defense pitched a shutout in the second for a 16-12 lead at the break.

“Our defense was a big difference tonight as well,” Edmondson said. “Anytime you can hold a high school team scoreless for a quarter, you know you are doing something right. It just would have been nice to have had a bigger than a four-point lead.”

Both teams scored 14 in the third period.

Sullivan had eight of her game-high 17 points in the third frame for the Miners while Addisyn McKee (12) and freshman Jaycee Archer (8) combined for 20 points in the loss.

Wilson paced the Arrows with 13 points and finished one rebound shy of a double-double.

Goodman finished as the third Sullivan player in double figures with 10 points, while Kelley (6), Katherine Sarver (2) and Destiny Gaines rounded out the scoring with nine points. Gaines also had two rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot.

Sullivan (15-8) draws the top-ranked Spartans Friday night.

“We really have nothing to lose,” McKinney said of facing the No. 1 ranked team. “We just have to come out and play our game.”

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