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Chapelgate's 10-point halftime lead evaporates thanks to Cori Gray's 14 second-half points.
by Brandon Hopp
In the game of basketball, a lead is never safe. It can change hands in the blink of an eye. This is a truth known too well to Chapelgate Christian Academy as they lost a 10-point half time advantage and fell to visiting John Carroll 45-42 on Thursday.
(Click to view highlights from John Carroll's win.)
The Yellow Jackets (4-4 overall, 1-3 B conference) fell behind 5-0 with 5:16 to play in the first quarter. They then went on a 19-2 run that was led by junior guard Julia Groves, who scored 13 points in the opening quarter. Groves connected on two three-point baskets and went 7-of-7 from the free throw line in the spurt.
Guard Emily Wolven added two three-pointers in the 19-point swing for Chapelgate.
The Patriots (6-8, 2-1) came out in the second quarter with an 8-0 run to cut the Yellow Jackets' lead to 19-15. Chapelgate responded by breaking a 5:30 minute drought to start the second quarter and scoring the last six points of the half to take a 25-15 advantage into the intermission.
In the second half, guard Cori Gray and John Carroll turned up the heat on defense and on the offensive glass. Gray, who only had two points in the first half, scored 14 points in the second to spark the comeback. On three consecutive possessions, she was fouled on two put backs and once on a lay-up after a steal. She made 4-of-6 free throws in a span of less than a minute in the middle of the quarter.
Gray was a menace on defense, created turnovers and grabbed rebounds for the Patriots. She was fouled on a drive to the basket with 1:50 left in the third. She made both free throw attempts to cut the lead to 32-29 in favor of Chapelgate.
Kelly Stambaug made a lay-up and was fouled on the last play of the quarter. She made the free throw to give the Yellow Jackets a 35-29 margin entering the final quarter.
John Carroll played in a full-court press and created turnovers in the fourth quarter. Groves, who was held scoreless in the fourth but finished the game with 19 points, was double teamed and denied the ball.
The Patriots started the final quarter on a 15-2 run and outscored Chapelgate 16-7 to cap the comeback victory. Gray scored six in the 15-2 run. Anne Brockmeyer hit a three-pointer, Nicole Clarke made two free throws and Katie Peusch made back-to-back shots. Gray put the game out of reach when she made a steal at half court and raced in for the layup to put the Patriots ahead 44-37 with just over two minutes to go.
"I was just all jacked up and I just had to get the ball because it was a close game," Gray said of her key steal and subsequent lay-up to give the Patriots a six point lead. "I don't know what came over me; I just chased [the ball] down until I got it."
"We started off a little slow in the beginning and we were a little frazzled. But I think we really stepped up as a team and really came together in the second half."
Emily Wolven hit a last second three-point shot to cut the Yellow Jackets' deficit to 44-42 with two second remaining in the game. Brockmeyer was fouled on the inbound play; she hit the first free throw and the second came off into Chapelgate's hands as time expired.
"We've kind of been that kind of team [coming from behind] all year long," said John Carroll's first year head coach John Cooney. "We've dug ourselves holes, time and time again. All year long, you can follow the box scores, we've been pretty deep in the hole and we pick it up in the second half."
"Well, [John Carroll] did a nice job in the second half," said Chapelgate head coach Rick Kohr. "They turned up the intensity on defense and went man-to-man. They put a body on Julia Groves and they did a nice job on the press..."
"We gave up a couple of cheap turnovers and they got a couple of baskets and the five or six point lead disappeared in a hurry."
John Carroll 45, Chapelgate Christian 42
John Carroll 7 8 14 16 -- 45
Chapelgate 19 6 10 7 -- 42
JC--Gray 16, Wolfe 9, Brockmeyer 8, Clarke 4, Peusch 8. Totals 13 18-29 45.
CCA--Groves 19, Wolven 14, Stambaug 5, Stull 2, Ahrens 1, Lovaas 1. Totals 11 15-18 42.
Half--Chapelgate Christian 25, John Carroll 15.
