The Jackson girls basketball team suffers heartbreaker in overtime

Jackson senior Brooke Sanders took the diplomatic approach to the final play of regulation in Friday's Class 5 District 1 title game.

"There was some contact but they didn't call it," Sanders said. "It went to overtime and we should have won then."

Indians junior Dru Haertling offered her blunt assessment.

"She was fouled," Haertling said with red, puffy eyes. "She was fouled."

Sanders tried to get up a last-second 3-pointer at the end of regulation. Poplar Bluff senior Miranda Burroughs' arms collided with Sanders', but the referees' whistles stayed silent. The ball fell well short of the rim and the game went to overtime.

Jackson's Kylie Seyer takes a shot during the third quarter of the Class 5 District 1 title match against Poplar Bluff on Friday, Feb. 25, 2011, in Cape Girardeau. Jackson lost 38-36 in overtime. (Kristin Eberts)

Jackson coach Sheila Haertling said the referees never offered an explanation for the no-call.

"I said, 'I think there was a foul on that 3-point shot,' and all he said was, 'Get back in your box, coach,'" coach Haertling said

Dru Haertling stressed her team didn't feel cheated before the start of overtime.

"We try to go on to the next play," she said. "We weren't going to let the refs control our game."

But overtime didn't go the Indians' way. Poplar Bluff scored the only points in overtime to pull out the 38-36 victory at Central.

Jackson's Brooke Sanders puts up a shot over Poplar Bluff's Miranda Burroughs, left, and Courtney Knuckles during the third quarter of the Class 5 District 1 title match on Friday, Feb. 25, 2011, in Cape Girardeau. Jackson lost 38-36 in overtime. (Kristin Eberts)

Overtime played out like the last two-plus minutes of regulation. Jackson controlled the ball and methodically worked it around the perimeter. The Indians created little on offense during the four-minute overtime session.

"In overtime, we weren't trying to do anything special," coach Haertling said. "We were just going to try to run our offense. And if we got an open look at the basket, we were going to take it. And if we didn't, as long as we held onto the ball, we knew we'd be OK."

But the Mules knocked the ball away from Dru Haertling with 1 minute, 10 seconds left in the overtime session.

Poplar Bluff's Courtney Knuckles sank a shot from near the basket with 2 seconds left to break the deadlock.

"We go one-on-one every day in practice, and I was like, this is just like a one-on-one," Knuckles said. "Nothing important was going through my mind. I wasn't stressing, like I've got to make this shot. I was just like, all right, this is cool. It was just like any other day in practice."

Jackson's McKenzie Quade makes a pass around Poplar Bluff's Miranda Burroughs and Courtney Knuckles, right, during overtime in the Class 5 District 1 title match on Friday, Feb. 25, 2011, in Cape Girardeau. Jackson lost 38-36. (Kristin Eberts)

Poplar Bluff coach Kirk Chronister said he liked his chances with Knuckles hoisting the final shot.

"Of course Courtney's the one you want to take that last shot," he said. "She shoots about 58 percent from the field and about 92 percent from the free-throw line, so we felt the odds were in our favor."

Jackson (18-7) failed to get off a shot after calling a timeout following Knuckles' basket, and the Mules emerged with their fourth consecutive district championship. All four have come against the Indians.

"It's real tough to lose on a last-second shot," Sanders said. "I know we're a pretty good team, so someone was going to lose like that."

Poplar Bluff never trailed in the game but failed pull away.

Jackson's Danielle Daume, from left, Connor King, McKenzie Quade and Dru Haertling react to a Poplar Bluff basket in the final seconds of overtime during the Class 5 District 1 title game Friday at Central. (Kristin Eberts)

Jackson senior McKenzie Quade pulled her team even for the last time with a step-back 3-pointer with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter.

Poplar Bluff's Burroughs missed a shot, and Jackson rebounded. That's when the Indians held onto the ball, maneuvering for a final shot. But coach Haertling said the intention wasn't to stall.

"We were looking for a good, open shot that we knew we were going to convert on," she said. "They played great defense and we weren't even trying to stall the ball. We were trying to run an offense so that all we were going to take was a 2- to 10-foot shot."

The ball got knocked out of bounds with less than 5 seconds left in regulation, and when Jackson inbounded the ball, the best shot it could get was Sanders' 3 attempt.

Jackson won the tip to start overtime and proceeded to sit on the ball. It kept passing around the perimeter until the Mules finally made the steal after more than 2:30 had passed.

"I think some of us are a little gun-shy and they don't want to be the one that takes the shot and misses it," coach Haertling said.

Jackson 10 8 11 7 0 -- 36

Poplar Bluff 12 10 11 3 2 -- 38

JACKSON (36) -- Dru Haertling 5, Paden Wachter 2, Brooke Sanders 7, Kylie Seyer 7, Danielle Daume 2, McKenzie Quade 13. FG 14, FT 4-8, F 14. (3-pointers: Sanders 1, Quade 3. Fouled out: none)

POPLAR BLUFF (38) -- Chelsea Darnell 10, Danielle Farmer 2, Miranda Burroughs 11, Sara Eyler 4, Marissa Webb 8, Courtney Knuckles 5. FG 17, FT 2-5, F 7. (3-pointers: Burroughs 2. Fouled out: none)