Lady Gators avenge loss to Clairton in OT thriller
CONNELLSVILLE TWP. — Cross country season ended in early November, but if you asked Geibel Catholic girls basketball player Emma Larkin how she felt in Monday’s overtime thriller against Clairton, the junior would probably admit that she had flashbacks to running 5Ks in the fall.
Larkin scored a team-high 38 points and came up with the game-winning basket in the Lady Gators’ 65-62 victory over the Lady Bears in Class A Section 2 play at “The Swamp.”
“I definitely ran a lot today,” Larkin said. “I bet I averaged a 4:15-minute mile (laughing).
“However, this was a total team win, and it was a huge win that I won’t forget. I also want to give credit to Clairton, and Iyanna Wade, who is an amazing player.”
Geibel, who suffered its lone loss this season to Clairton on Dec. 16, improved to 8-1 in section play and 15-1 overall. The Lady Bears dropped to 7-1 in league play and 9-3 overall.
“When we played them (Clairton) the first time, we didn’t play our game,” Geibel Catholic coach Sara Larkin said. “We were intimidated, we didn’t work together as a team, and we weren’t rebounding. All the little things that we do well together, we didn’t do. When you go back and look at that film, you know that it’s there.
“Our defense was the biggest difference tonight. At Clairton, we gave up too many buckets, and too many easy ones. We fought like hell out there tonight. They were all aggressive, going for the ball and giving it everything they had.”
Clairton had its shot, as Wade, who is the WPIAL’s leading scorer, recorded a game-high 39 points on 14 field goals, including four 3-pointers, and was 7 of 11 at the foul line. Teammate Karma Fuqua put in 11 points.
The Lady Bears had a three-point lead with under a minute to go in regulation.
“We haven’t really had a rough game so far this year in the conference, and you need a game like this to prepare you for the playoffs,” Clairton coach Carlton Wade said. “That is a good team, and we played a very good player in Emma Larkin. We had a couple of girls with colds and flus, but they battled through it, and I think, down the road, this is going to make us better.”
Larkin scored all 10 of the Lady Gators’ points in the fourth quarter, but teammate Janiah Darnell had an offensive rebound that allowed Geibel to tie the game.
With Clairton holding a 58-55 advantage, Larkin went to the foul line and made her first shot to cut the deficit to two. She missed the second, but Darnell pulled down the offensive rebound and Larkin put in a layup to tie the game at 58-58.
Larkin appeared to have scored the go-ahead basket with 15.1 seconds remaining but was called for a charge. The Lady Bears weren’t able to attempt the winning shot and the game went into overtime.
Larkin made 11 field goals, including one 3-pointer, and was 15 of 19 from the foul line. She also moved into second place in program history with 1,631 career points.
Larkin was happy with her play, and what was probably the biggest win of her high school career, but wanted to make sure her teammates received credit.
“To play with a big like Mallory Clemmer, who is just a freshman and so young, is amazing,” Larkin said. “It is so much fun to play with her. Our team played amazing today. Janiah and Mallory had the big rebounds and Ava (Henderson) with the three-point shots and the defense. Everybody showed up today.”
Wade scored to open the overtime period, but it was her last basket for the game.
Ava Partridge made 1 of 2 at the line to pull Geibel within one, and after Clairton missed two free throws, Larkin drove for a layup and a 61-60 lead.
The Lady Gators had to play the final 1:03 without Clemmer, who fouled out. She had 10 points, 18 rebounds and six blocks.
The Lady Bears regained the lead at 62-61, as Kyzak Jamison made two free throws on Clemmer’s fifth foul, but Larkin converted on a layup while being fouled and made the and-one for a 64-62 advantage.
Larkin made 1 of 2 at the line that extended the lead to three before Clairton missed a three-pointer, the Lady Gators corralled the rebound and started to celebrate as the clock reached triple zeros.
Geibel closed the first quarter on a 10-0 run for a 20-10 lead heading into the second. Larkin scored 10 points in the first period, but it was Henderson’s three-point shooting that gave the Lady Bears fits.
Henderson made four 3-pointers and scored 14 points, but she fouled out with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. Henderson was tasked with guarding Wade one-on-one, but held her own, as Wade scored 12 points when matched up with Henderson.
Clairton outscored the home team, 13-8, in the second quarter for a 28-23 advantage for the Lady Gators at halftime.
Geibel opened the third quarter on an 8-0 run, as Henderson made two 3-pointers and Darnell scored inside, but the Lady Bears started to chip away at the deficit.
Clairton outscored the Lady Gators, 24-20, in the third period. Wade scored 20 points in the quarter.
The Lady Bears had an 11-10 edge in the fourth period.