Those crazy shots that Megan Harlow heaves up during practices paid off handsomely Friday night.
Harlow knocked down an off-balance 3-pointer to tie the game with three seconds left in regulation and then scored six of her 14 points in overtime, bringing the Warriors back for a 66-60 victory against Mooresville on Friday evening.
The win not only clinched Whiteland’s first outright Mid-State Conference title since 2011 but completed an unbeaten home season and broke the program’s single-season record for victories.
“It was just an amazing thing to see those little funny things I work on in practice pay off in a game,” Harlow said.
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The Warriors (19-4, 6-0) looked to be on life support after senior Mackenzie Blazek fouled out with 3:48 left in the fourth quarter, and the Pioneers (15-8, 4-2) scored the next eight points to take a 46-41 lead into the final minute. But Natalie Stuck scored to cut it to three, and Harlow and Taylor Klenner each hit a pair of foul shots to keep Whiteland close enough for Harlow, who brought the ball over to the right side of the arc and heaved up a desperation shot over a pair of defenders.
Mooresville went ahead early in the overtime, 55-52, on Lauren Farb’s fifth 3-pointer of the night, but Harlow made two more free throws and Toni Joyner followed with consecutive baskets to put the Warriors on top 58-55. A three-point play by Elise Scaggs tied the score for the ninth time before Stuck hit a running bank shot with 1:11 on the clock, giving Whiteland the lead for keeps at 60-58.
“We just never would die,” Whiteland coach Kyle Shipp said. “We would never just go away. We just needed that one big shot to take us over the top, and that’s what happened.”
While Harlow provided the late heroics, it was Madelyn Napier who kept the Warriors in business for the bulk of regulation. The junior came off the bench to score 20 points and hit six 3-pointers, several of which came at critical junctures. Joyner came through down low on a frustrating night for Blazek, scoring 12 points and adding seven rebounds and three steals.
Blazek, who finished with nine points and 11 rebounds in her final home game, went home happy.
“It was a very fun night,” she said. “Obviously not fun having to sit and watch, but my team is incredible. I knew they were going to pull it out.”
“Mackenzie’s carried us for four years,” Shipp said, “and it’s really a special thing to see those girls step up for her on her night to carry her to a victory.”
In the second half of the night’s doubleheader, Whiteland pulled ahead with a fourth-quarter surge and held on for a 46-44 win against the Pioneers.
Brennan Neal had 13 points to lead the Warriors (6-8, 1-3 Mid-State), while Elijah Weatherspoon came off the bench and scored all seven of his points during the final period.
Whiteland coach Matt Wadsworth said he went with a bigger lineup than usual, and it paid off in the form of some big offensive rebounds from Chase and Cole Ferguson.
“There were several instances when both Fergusons created second-chance points for us, and that was huge,” Wadsworth said.
Jon Eineman missed a running 3 at the horn that would have won it for Mooresville (6-9, 1-3).
