Cornerstone Wins In Triple Overtime
Photos and Story by Robert Thomas
Thursday evening saw a couple firsts for Cornerstone Christian School Falcons JV basketball team - a team comprised of Cornersone and Riverview Collegiate students.
It was the first third overtime matchup the team has been part of.
The second first was it was the Falcons first victory of the season as they defeated the visiting Central Cyclones 62 - 59 in a junior girls - junior varsity basketball matchup.
And although they never said it, the victory for the Falcons could be summed up in one word - sweet.
Central Cyclones Brooklyn Watterson tries to get around Cornerstone Falcons Anna Thorn
The game saw the Cyclones take the early lead and up until about the midway point of the second quarter looked like they were headed to victory.
But then the Falcons strong play kicked in and the battle became increasingly more intense.
The end of the First Quarter saw the Cyclones ahead of the Falcons with a 11 - 7 lead.
Falcons Madison Smith jockeys for position against Cyclones Brooklyn Waterson
The Falcons progressively got better in the Second Quarter.
Although outscored by the Cyclones in the second quarter of play the Falcons managed to keep pace.
The score at the half was 24 Central and Cornerstone 17.
Royals Jaria Seida-Rutheven (left) tries to break around the Cyclones Autumn Johnson
The Third Quarter saw the Falcons surge.
They were able to keep pace with the Cyclones and erased over half of the seven point deficit at half-time.
The third quarter ended with a reduced Cyclones lead and a score of Cyclones 34 and Falcons 31.
Royals Ademide Adenumi (left) attempts make a rebound only to have the ball end up in the hands of the Cyclones Brooklyn Watterson
The Fourth Quarter was a nailbiter seesaw battle as Cornerstone came from behind to take the lead 39 - 38 with 6:20 left in regulation time.
Central would fight back and retake the lead 40 - 39 with 4:00 remaining in regulation time.
With 2:35 left Cornerstone moved into a three point lead.
With 55 seconds left in regulation time Central trailed by two points with a 47 - 45 score in Cornerstone's favour.
With 27 seconds left Central would tie the game 47 - 47 sending it into a first five minute overtime period.
Falcons Madison Smith (left) attempts to allude the Cyclones Brook Fafard
The first five minute overtime period would end tied 53 - 53.
The second overtime period had the Cyclones ahead 57 - 55 with 1:01 remaining.
After a timeout the Falcons managed to tie the game sending it into a third overtime.
After a coaches’ discussion the decision was made to have a two minute overtime.
With less than 30 seconds left Cornerstone would end up on the foul line where Ademide Adenumi would make both foul shots giving the Falcons a 61 - 59 lead.
A final trip to the foul line by Cornerstone's Jaria Seida-Rutheven would lead to a Falcon's 62 - 59 victory.
Top scorers
Cornerstone
Jorja Seida-Ruthven 15
Ademide Adewumi 14
Royals Jaria Seida-Rutheven lines up a shot on the foul line
Central
Brooklyn Watterson 18
Shaylan Constable 14
The Cyclones Brooklyn Watterson (center foreground) picks up a stray ball after an offensive rebound.
Watterson would score 18 points to be the Cyclones top scorer in the game.
Coaches Comments
Despite his team's loss Central Cyclones head coach Todd Johnson was philosophical and said he was happy with his team's play.
“This is what we need is close games like this. We need all of the situational plays so yeah it was a good game for us,” Johnson said.
He said the game helped point out problems and would give the team things to work on.
“We have got to learn to play a little bit better defence and we don't foul. Yeah it was a good game and I am proud of the girls,” he said.
“We had a little bit of adversity and we worked hard to come out of it.”
Cornerstone Falcons Ademide Adewumi (center) rebounds against Cyclones Blake Maltais (left) and Cyclones Brooke Watterson (right)
Asked if the triple overtime game was the longest game he has been involved Johnson said it was “for a while.”
Asked about the Cyclones junior girls squads improvement from before and now after the holiday break Johnson said how the team played was to be expected.
“This game is fantastic for us. So it is exactly what we expected to happen a little bit of a ring of rust in our shooting. We have got to finish our shot a little bit but we played excellent defense and that is what we are looking for down the road.”
He said the team needs to play hard as they did on Thursday evening.
“The girls know how to play hard. So whoever we are playing we want to play hard.”
Asked why the Cyclones would not have played the bench against a noticeably exhausted Cornerstone squad Johnson said the Cyclones were similarly short benched.
“We had one more player than they did.”
Usually Johnson, when his team is at full strength, sub in the entire five girl team at a time.
The Cyclones had nine players while the Royals had eight players meaning fatigue in such a long and grueling game could well be a factor.
“I think we played a game and a half and you could have a football team and everyone would still be tired “
Falcons head coach Al Block talks to his team during a timeout late in the marathon matchup.
Players said on the bench due to fatigue.
For Cornerstone Falcons head coach Al Block winning the marathon matchup was special in two ways.
He has never been involved in such a lengthy game.
“This is the first time I have ever played triple overtime. It was super intense back and forth the whole night,” Block said.
“This is just a fantastic game. I am proud of the girls. It was great competition. For high school sports this is what it is all about.”
Asked to comment about trailing in the first two quarters and the surge in the second half he said it was part of the half-time chat with the team.
“We were down by seven (points) at the half and I said girls if we make all of our layups we are probably winning this game by by ten (points). So we just ended up bearing down more,” he said.
“When we tied it at 47 (points) we ended up tying and tying and tying.”
Fatigue and only having eight players factored heavily in such a long game.
“Our girls were getting tired. We have eight girls and play about six of them so they were really getting tired by the end,” Block said.
“They were getting exhausted. They would lay down when I called timeouts and stuff. It becomes more of a thing you are so tired you don't know what you are doing out there sometimes.”
Although the game was lengthy the Royals winning it was extra special because it is the team's first win of the season.
It did not matter if it was with a layup or on foul shots, he said.
“I will take it any way I can get it. That's our first win of the year so that is just super us. Just getting that goose egg, that zero out of the standings column is huge.”
Losing the game would have been tough.
“It would have been a tough one to lose. Just playing three overtime periods just to lose would have been demoralizing,” Block said.
“It's great to win. The girls are going to be pumped about it. They are exhausted right now but I know deep down inside they are super excited and ready to get to the next one.”
