Harrison Central rallies late to edge Magnolia 52-50

A fourth-quarter offensive push by Harrison Central erased a late seven-point lead by the visiting Lady Cardinals of Magnolia on Feb. 5. The drama began late in the fourth period with 1:49 remaining and Magnolia leading 48-46.

Coach Chace Smith inserted Destinee Robinson, and the move paid off. With 1:49 to go, Robinson muscled in a rebound and put it back to tie the game at 48. From there, the drama unfolded.

Smith’s next move came with the Huskies holding a 50-49 lead when he called a timeout. After regrouping, Harrison Central forced Magnolia to foul. The foul sent Kara Blackburn to the line with 7.7 seconds remaining. Blackburn made one of two free throws, but a Huskies rebound led to a second foul, giving Bailey Smith the chance to extend the lead. Smith made both free throws to push the lead to 52-49 with 3.7 seconds to go.

But Magnolia still had a chance. In an effort to tie the game, Cardinals leading scorer Kalee Yost launched a 3-pointer that caromed off the board. The trail official signaled a foul on the shot, sending Yost to the line for three free throws. Yost, who finished with 24 points to lead both teams, had already made seven free throws in the game.

Yost made the first free throw to make it 52-50. Her second attempt bounced off the rim, and the game ended with Harrison Central earning a 52-50 victory.

The late finish was made possible by consistent scoring, rebounding and assists by the Huskies. Emily Cope led Harrison Central with 19 points. The Smith sisters combined for 16 points, with Ella scoring nine and Bailey seven.

Mik Pelegreen and Shayla Nameth scored 10 points, splitting the total evenly. Blackburn, who got into foul trouble early, scored three points. Robinson and Ava Conley added two points each.

Harrison Central led 12-6 after the first quarter. At halftime, Magnolia held a 15-point lead, 36-21. The third quarter ended with Magnolia ahead 36-31, setting up the late fourth-quarter rally.

Harrison Central improved to 9-12 with the win.