Buzzer-beater powers Lady Mules to upset

The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules had their hands full in a Monday night matchup against the Farmington Lady Knights and needed a flawless game in their toughest test before the district tournament.

In a comeback effort, the Lady Mules fought down to the wire and ended with a 51-49 win over Farmington with a walk-off buzzer-beater from junior guard Kennedy Zgaynor.

“This win felt great, and I’m truly proud of how the girls went out there and executed,” Poplar Bluff coach John David Pattillo said. “We were a little thin tonight because of injuries, so we focused a lot on keeping the ball in our hands, and we wanted to slow the game down for better shots. I believe we did just that, and it was a good win.”

The Lady Knights (20-5) struck first with a 3-pointer within the first few seconds of the game, setting the tone that this matchup would be challenging for the Lady Mules.

The Lady Knights managed to execute offensively like a well-oiled machine, as each shot they put up was destined to be a made basket. The Lady Mules wouldn’t be intimidated as they were able to get solid shots as well to keep the game close for most of the first half.

Down 37-27 at halftime, the Lady Mules (12-13) made quick adjustments to their offense.

In an attempt to keep the game at their pace, the Lady Mules decided to slow it down in the third quarter, allowing them to take only high-quality shots.

Although the Lady Mules kept the game relatively close in the third, a strong run from the Lady Knights had their backs against the ropes. The Lady Mules continued to stick to their game plan and would not go down without a fight as they attempted a fourth-quarter run to cut the lead down to 46-38. One senior saw an open window and made the call to strike back.

Senior guard Madelyn Eads, who led with 21 points, kept the Lady Mules in the fight with some big shots late in the fourth.

“I saw some go down early, and I felt confident tonight,” Eads said. “I knew we needed some threes because they were hitting us in the face with some, so we had hit them back. After getting beat by 25 points last season, this win was kind of personal. This is our home court, and we want to protect it.”

“I got to give credit to Coach Pattillo because he did a different game plan that we were used to by putting the ball lot, and it was really smart,” Eads added.

Adrianne Casey and Clara Rahlmann both added nine points, and Mikalla Little chipped in with seven.

Pattillo praised Eads and her effort to keep fighting.

“It’s just nice to see her play like this because she’s been reluctant to shoot her threes you, and she’s too good a shooter not to,” Pattillo said. “Tonight, she was confident with the shots that she took, and she just made some big ones for us in the end.