It was a thrilling matchup in KMAC girls' basketball action between rivals Danville (3-2, 1-1) and Centerburg (2-2, 1-1) on Dec. 9, with Ella Proper and Kylee Hess combining for 43 points in a 71-69 double overtime win for the Blue Devils.
Danville jumped out to an 18-11 lead after one quarter, with Hess scoring nine points to lead the charge. They took a 34-25 lead into halftime, with Hess putting up 11 points and Jaylyn Smith with 10 points. Kayla Larimore had 12 points in the second quarter and 16 total points int he first half for Centerburg
The third quarter was all Centerburg, outscoring Danville 24-8 and taking a 49-42 lead. Sheppard had nine points in the quarter to lead Centerburg. The Blue Devils showed fight in the fourth quarter with a 17-10 advantage to tie the game at 59-59 and go to overtime. Both teams scored six points in the first overtime and Danville edged out the Trojans 6-4 in the second overtime to take the win.
"As a team, effort was the key to the game," said Danville Coach Matt Proper. "Centerburg played hard all night, but in the end, we made some plays on both ends that helped us get the win. Both Kylee and Ella had big nights. Both of them hit some big shots at critical times. Overall it was a good team win."
Proper scored 23 points and Hess put up 20, showing big scoring nights for both players. Hess had eight assists, five boards and two steals. Proper had eight boards, five steals and two blocks.
Centerburg Coach Bill Abner said it was tough loss to take, as the team came back from a double digit deficit to take an 11 point lead early in the third. However, he praised the effort his squad put in against a tough KMAC foe.
“This was one of the most exciting back and forth games I have ever coached and it was a shame someone had to lose,” said Abner.
Larimore led all scorers with 26 points, nine boards and seven assists. Sheppard was right behind her with 23 points, and was helpful all over the floor with five boards, five assists and five blocks. They were 21-for-33 combined from the floor last night.
“Larimore and Sheppard were both amazing on the offensive end, but Danville deserves a ton of credit. We knew that if they got down they would not quit,” sad Abner. “They have shown that on film and it's kind of their calling card. That's the sign of a mature, experienced team. They made some clutch deep shots late and some with a hand in their face. Every time we felt we had them on the ropes they'd come back. I'm proud of our kids. It was a battle all afternoon and we had several chances to close it out late and didn't take advantage of it. We just have to learn from it because the season is far from over.”
Danville has won three of their last four games, with the one loss being a tough 53-30 defeat to defending KMAC champions Mount Gilead who they will face again next month.
