Jackson spoils Central girls' farewell in 3 OTs

A few lights may have to be replaced before they're turned out for good tonight.

Playing their final home game Thursday at Cape Girardeau Central's Tiger Field House, the Lady Tigers played a three-overtime marathon against rival Jackson, falling 48-44.

The game was the next-to-last Central game in the gym; the boys team will bid farewell tonight against Sikeston. The teams will have a new home next year when the school relocates.

The girls said good-bye with a classic, which included a buzzer-beater 3-pointer by Central senior Sarah Hyslop at the end of the first overtime to deadlock the game at 42-42.

"I wanted to win my last night here, but everyone played their hardest," said Hyslop, who matched her jersey number with a team-high 24 points before fouling out in the closing seconds of the third overtime. She scored all eight of her team's overtime points despite playing with four fouls.

The victory meant the teams, both 14-8, split their two meetings. Central won the first encounter by two points in the third-place game of the HealthSouth Holiday Classic. And it also means, in Jackson coach Ron Cook's words, that the Lady Indians will be wearing white when the two teams meet again in the first round of the Class 4A, District 1 Tournament in less than two weeks. Thursday's winner will likely get the No. 2 seed in today's district draw, while the loser will likely get No. 3 in the four-team bracket.

The third meeting will be highly anticipated after Thursday's thriller.

"That was probably one of the best games as far as back and forth that I've been involved with in years," said Cook, who said it was the longest game he's coached.

Jackson junior Jenna Leet, who scored a game-high 27 points, had seven points in overtime and was the only Lady Indian with more than six points.

Central took a 34-31 lead into the fourth quarter but needed an Anna Brisso basket -- the Lady Tigers' only points in the period -- with 2:25 left to tie the game at 36-36 and force overtime.

With the game tied 39-39 in the first overtime, Leet appeared to pull out the win when she scored on a conventional three-point play with six seconds left. But Hyslop answered with a last-gasp 22-footer from the top of the key.

Leet has played on AAU teams with Hyslop and knew her penchant for hitting clutch baskets.

"I can remember her hitting those shots at the end of games," said Leet. "And she did that to us in districts, so it wasn't anything I didn't expect her to do."

Each team milked the clock in the second four-minute overtime, scoring two points each, before varsity-newcomer Linden Hahs put Jackson ahead for good in the third overtime with a pair of free throws with 19 seconds left to play.

Hahs, a sophomore who has played most of the season on the JV, has been seen varsity action the last couple of games. She was 3 of 4 from the free-throw line in overtime.

"She played an awesome game," said Leet. "She really came through for us."

Alex Wieser added 10 points for Central.

jbreer@semissourian.com

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