By Matt Turer — mturer@ky3.com
@MattTurer
Columbia, Mo. — Walnut Grove put up one of its best defensive efforts all season Saturday but met its match in Mercer.
The Lady Tigers were limited to 19-percent shooting from the floor in the second half and 23.4 percent for the game, falling 43-34 despite holding the Cardinals (31-1) to an equally notable 30.3 percent from the field in the Class 1 girls state title game inside Mizzou Arena.
“Obviously we’re disappointed, but I thought our kids’ effort was tremendous, especially defensively,” Walnut Grove head coach Rory Henry said.
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Walnut Grove was rolling early, jumping out to a 16-9 lead through one quarter. But by halftime, that lead dwindled to one after scoring just four points in the second.
“We got out of rhythm offensively after our start,” Henry said. “We started off really well but then they backed off in certain positions and doubled down towards Bayley [Harman] and Raylie [Hejna] especially, and we just couldn’t get shots to fall.”
Mercer limited Walnut Grove to 1-of-14 from 3-point range, an almost unheard of total for a Lady Tigers team that shot 34.6 percent from beyond the arc this season.
“I thought the defensive key after the first quarter was we made a switch and did a great job of helping on Bayley Harman, who’s an outstanding player, and we really did a good job making things tough for her,” Mercer head coach Dan Owens said. “I’m very proud today and it all started with the defense.”
Harman finished with 23 points for the second consecutive game, putting up that same total in Thursday’s semifinal win over Prairie Home. But Mercer’s experienced senior-heavy roster limited Harman to 7-of-29 from the floor and 1-of-11 from deep.
“We were just hoping as the game went on that playing a couple different kids on her, she might wear down a little bit,” Owens said. “She didn’t get a whole lot off the drive after the first quarter.”
Raylie Hejna scored nine and pulled in seven rebounds for the Lady Tigers, second to Harman’s 11 rebounds. Hejna finished 3-of-6, but outside of her and Harman, Walnut Grove combined for a 1-of-12 shooting clip, resulting in a season-low point total for a team that averages 59.1 points per game.
“It gave us a lot of confidence,” Mercer’s Lindsay Wyatt said of Walnut Grove’s offensive struggles. “We knew that if they were going to get behind, they’d get rattled. We wanted them to get going faster than they’re comfortable with and we wanted to take advantage of them getting in their own head.”
Walnut Grove held Mercer scoreless for most of the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, pulling within 37-34 on a pair of free throws from Harman with 35 seconds left.
Harman’s 8-of-8 performance at the line was a big reason Walnut Grove had a shot late, especially after holding Mercer without a field goal for the entire fourth quarter.
All nine of Mercer’s points that quarter came from the free-throw line.
“We did a great job of contesting outside,” Henry said “Made them take some tough shots. In the end, we just couldn’t hit shots. But we didn’t quit. Hats off to Mercer. Just disappointed. We worked really hard to get back here and win it again.”
For Hejna, Saturday was a chance to claim her third state title in four years at Walnut Grove after being a part of championship teams her freshman and sophomore seasons.
“It’s a tradition we have,” a tearful Hejna said. “We know how to get [to the Final Four] and we know what we need to do to get there. It’s a legacy.
“This season was a lot of fun. I’ve had a really good career. Honestly, this season is probably the most fun I’ve had. The girls are a lot of fun and we’ve been a lot closer to the coaching staff.”
This Walnut Grove run doesn’t appear to be slowing anytime soon. The Lady Tigers, who have been in five of the last six Class 1 state title games, return most of their roster, including all-stater Harman, and are set to bring in an incredibly talented eighth-grade class that has already won titles of its own on the middle-school level.
“Obviously today is about what they’ve accomplished this season, but I’m thinking about next year and what Bayley can do [as a senior],” Henry said. “You look at what she did this year and, man, next year can be a lot of fun if she doesn’t get content and stays hungry. This is only going to motivate her and the kids in the locker room.”
FINAL: Mercer 43, Walnut Grove 34
Mercer 9 10 15 9- 43
Walnut Grove 16 4 7 7- 34
Mercer- Nicole Kost 14, Lindsay Wyatt 11, Bailey Owens 8, Morgan Eastin 4, Breanna Main 3, Emily Sample 3
Walnut Grove- Bayley Harman 23, Raylie Hejna 9, Grace Miller 2
