Owls win off last-second 3-pointer

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Down by one, with time expiring, Ashton Chase crossed the ball to her left hand to shake a defender, stepped back and fired from the left side of the 3-point line.

As the ball sank to the bottom of the net at the buzzer, the Lloyd E. Scott Gymnasium erupted.

Chase’s trey lifted the Owls’ girls basketball team to a 55-53 Hoosier Hills Conference victory against Madison on Saturday.

“Ashton is a great shooter, and that’s why you want the ball in her hand,” Owls coach Jason Longmeier said. “You would never know if Ashton has 30 points or two. She always carries herself the same way. I’m happy she was able to step up.”

In the first quarter, little separated the two teams.

The Owls (6-5, 2-1 HHC) traded baskets eight times until a free throw from Makenna Fee tied the game at 10 with 13 ticks on the clock.

The Cubs (5-5, 1-2 HHC) got a basket to go as time expired to lead 12-10 after eight minutes of play.

Seymour opened the second quarter on an 8-0 run — behind four points by Chase — to lead 18-12 with 5:12 on the clock.

Back-to-back scores from Chase extended the Owls’ lead to 22-14, and a 3-pointer from Maddie Roark and free throws from Chase put Seymour up 27-16 with under a minute left in the half.

At the break, the Owls led 29-19.

The Cubs came out of the half fired up, going on an 8-2 run before an and-one by Maddie Roark and 3-pointer from Chase gave the Owls a 39-27 lead with 2:15 left in the third quarter.

Chipping away at the deficit, the Cubs trailed 43-36 at the end of three quarters.

The Cubs continued to narrow the gap, and tied the game at 51 with minute left in the game.

Following split free throws by Roark, the Cubs took the lead on a layup with 10 ticks on the scoreboard.

Longmeier elected to not take a timeout, and Roark got the ball down the court and to Chase for the game-winner.

“I’m looking at numbers in that situation,” Longmeier said. “I don’t like calling a time out there. I don’t’ want (Madison) to set their defense. I want them to have to defend in space. When you have kids like Ashton and Maddie, I couldn’t let them pass that chance up.”

Chase led the Owls with 18 points, Roark added 17 and Fee had 11.

Six-foot forward Hannah Imel led the Cubs with 24 points.

The Owls lost the rebounding battle 29-26, but had 15 turnovers to the Cubs’ 21 giveaways.

Seymour will travel to Columbus North tomorrow.

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