Lady Titans’ season ends with overtime loss

“We just ran into an extremely hot shooting team”

It was a season long process and the Lady Titans were just starting to click, unfortunately the season ended before they truly hit their stride.
After crushing Antonito 51-19 in the final regular season game at home on Friday, February 18, they dropped their final game of the regular season to South Park 60-40.
South Park brought two nearly unstoppable shooters to the game and the Lady Titans could do nothing to stop them.
Crested Butte finished the season the eighth seed and was forced to host a “pigtail” game against the Center Vikings on Monday, February 21 for a shot at reaching the district tournament.
The two teams met twice before during the regular season with Crested Butte winning both but there was a big difference in both teams between those two games and the game Monday night.
For starters, the Lady Titans lost junior Sydney Jernigan, the teams’ leading scorer and rebounder, midway through the season.
Furthermore, Center appeared to have turned a corner at some point during the season and were putting up a fight against the top teams in the league down the stretch.
“I knew to expect something better,” says lady Titans head coach Brandin Hamilton. “They were playing a lot better basketball.”
Center relied on their strength inside to carry them early in the game Monday night. Crested Butte countered with baskets from junior Toni Brown, sophomore Madie Stichter and freshman Shannon Costello but the Vikings closed the first quarter with a 14-10 lead.
The Vikings dominated the second quarter, shutting down Crested Butte’s offense while shooting lights out from the perimeter.
After opening the quarter with two baskets from outside the key, Center returned to the inside game outscoring the Lady Titans 16-8 to finish the first half on top 30-18.
Hamilton used the break to remind his team of their offensive game plan while making some adjustments in their defense.
The Lady Titans took the game plan from the locker room and onto the floor in the third quarter. Brown opened the quarter draining a jumper and Costello scored four points in a row to cut the Center lead down to eight before they could call a timeout.
Center responded scoring the next six points but a three-pointer from Costello with just over a minute left in the third sparking the Lady Titans comeback.
Following the three, the Lady Titans finally switched into Hamilton’s game plan for good pushing the ball inside to senior Shannon Holleran. Holleran took over closing the quarter scoring the last six points to cut the Vikings lead down to five points.
Meanwhile, the Lady Titans defense stepped out to shot off the Center shooters and force turnovers midcourt.
“We just gelled defensively,” says Hamilton. “We started causing them problems.”
Holleran continued her effort opening the fourth quarter scoring another seven points and dishing out an assist to Natalie Bowen underneath to tie the game 40-40.
Brown gave the Lady Titans their first lead since the first quarter with a 14-foot jump shot and the two teams traded basket through the fourth quarter until the final minute.
Center hit the first of two free throws with 20 seconds left to take a 48-46 lead but missed the second and Holleran grabbed the rebound and the Lady Titans called a timeout.
The initial inbounds play was thwarted by confusion on the part of Crested Butte but Center kicked the ball out of bounds giving the Lady Titans one last chance.
A frenzied inbounds play self-destructed but Costello got a pass in the corner and pulled the trigger to hit a 16-foot jumper and send the game into overtime.
Center sealed the game from the free throw line, and while Costello netted one more last gasp drive, it was too little, too late as the Lady Titans fell 56-54.
“We just ran out of time,” says Hamilton. “We just ran into an extremely hot shooting team. I’m happy with the effort. I wish that we had come out stronger, we just dug ourselves a hole.”