(Atlantic) — Avah Underwood sank five consecutive free throws in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter to lift St. Albert to a 49–45 victory over Atlantic in a hard-fought matchup Monday night.
The Saintes jumped out to a 15–8 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 20–12 midway through the second quarter. Atlantic then battled back, trimming the deficit to 26–22 by halftime. Zoey Kirchhoff led the Trojans with 10 points in the opening half, while Lexi Pierce and Eleanor Coughlin each added six.
Riding that momentum, Atlantic went on a 6–0 run to seize a 30–28 lead midway through the third period. The rest of the frame featured three lead changes and four ties, ending in a 37–37 deadlock heading into the fourth.
The fourth quarter mirrored the back-and-forth intensity of the third, featuring five lead changes and four ties before St. Albert finally pulled ahead. Underwood’s clutch free throws broke the 44–44 deadlock and secured the 49–45 victory.
Underwood the Saintes with 15 -points. Brooklyn Rutledge added six, Lexie Pearce and Molly Wise each scored five, Sophia Denton, Eleanor Coughlin, and Lexie Darrington each scored four, Eva Jones, three, Sophia Denton, 2, and Ellie Larmie, 1.
Zoey Kirchhoff paced Atlantic with 17 points, Katrina Williams added 12, Makenna Schroeder and Peyton McLaren each pitched in 7, and Brynn Lamp, 2.
Atlantic Head Coach Dan Vargason’s postgame posted below.
St. Albert extends its record to 2-0. The Trojans go to 1-2, with a trip to Glenwood on Friday night. The Saintes travel to Harlan on Tuesday and hit the road again on Friday at Clarinda.
