Frankfort’s Falcons flew to Franklin on Monday, only to be foiled by a frustrating fusillade of aggressive defenders from the home squad.
Pendleton County had battled their way as road warriors to a 3-3 record before taking on the Class AA team from Mineral County.
Frankfort came away with the tip off, but the Wildcats’ defense forced them into a travel call on their first possession. At the 6:36 mark, the first score came when Jenna Smith took an offensive rebound and put it in the basket for a 2-0 advantage,
After the score, Pendleton County went straight into a press. Jameigh Miller got her second steal thus far in the game, which led to Susan Vincell grabbing a rebound and laying it back in.
Down 4-0, Frankfort struck back with two free throws. After a Smith layup, they hit a three to close the score at 6-5.
Over the course of the first quarter, however, Pendleton County had difficulties offensively. The home court seemed nothing like friendly confines as the Wildcats struggled to score.
At the 2:08 mark, Frankfort hit another three to extend its lead to 13-8. That lead increased to seven as Frankfort hit a three at the 5:40 mark in the second quarter to take a 21-14 lead.
Pendleton County head coach, Donnie Kopp, pulled out his entire bag of tricks against the Falcons. The Wildcats’ opportunities in set offensive plays were not going in, so Kopp continued to switch defenses on the Falcons to keep them off balance. He switched his team in and out of man-to-man defenses, and also attacked Frankfort with different zone configurations.
Additionally, he switched from man to zone presses.
At the 4:16 point in the first half, Vincell hit two free throws to pull her team within four. Avery Townsend pulled down an offensive rebound far from the basket, then fired up a 10-foot shot. At almost the two minute point, she grabbed a steal and went coast-to-coast for another basket to knot the game at 20. She then helped her team take the lead with a free throw.
With just over a minute left, Townsend continued to will her team forward. She grabbed a loose ball, fought through defenders to score a layup and got fouled in the process. Townsend hit the free throw.
She also closed down scoring in the first half by training on a fast break, taking a missed layup, and scoring it with no time remaining. Pendleton County walked into the locker room leading 27-20.
The third quarter was not welcoming for either team as both struggled. Pendleton County got shots, but struggled to convert. At the other end of the floor, Frankfort found an increasingly feisty defense forcing their players into off balance and bad shots. Vincell scored a layup with one minute in, but after that, Frankfort scored seven to pull within two at the 2:18 mark in the third.
Katie Heavner then took a foul and hit two free throws at the line to give her squad breathing room. Frankfort followed with a basket to come within two at 31-29. Townsend closed out the quarter with a steal and a coast-to-coast layup to set the score at 33-29.
Frankfort hit a layup to again close within two at the 7:15 point in the fourth. Three and a half minutes later, they tied the game at 33, but on the next possession a Vincell layup seized the lead right back.
She followed that up with a score and then a steal.
The lead dropped to two again at the 2:25 point when the Falcons drained two free throws, but then Townsend found Smith open for a layup.
Leading by four with 1:11 remaining, Pendleton County gave Frankfort no choice but to foul and extend the game. In the last bit of time remaining, the Wildcats hit nine free throws and Townsend scored a layup, making a close game look not so much so with a final score of 49-36.
Kopp praised his team’s shot selection. Compared to other games, he explained that they made better choices in the timing and placement of shots.
He added, “We’ve been doing very well at the foul line.”
Tonight, the team next takes on Petersburg at home.
