By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Mountain Grove, Mo. — From the way his team effectively switched tempo Saturday night, Licking head coach Steven Rissler might have a second career waiting as a DJ.
After grabbing a lead early with slow, methodical ball movement, Rissler’s Lady Wildcats cranked things up to a frantic pace in the second quarter en route to a 62-51 victory over Mountain View-Birch Tree Liberty in the Class 3 District 2 championship.
Licking’s 15-0 run to open the second quarter stretched its lead 28-11, with standout guard Karlee Holland right in the middle of the chaos.
“We’ve been able to do that all year, depending on who we play,” Rissler said “If you want to play fast, we can play fast. When Karlee and Kiley get going down hill, they’re pretty good.”
Holland finished with a game-high 23 points in the matchup, including four 3-pointers.
The junior all-state guard attributed her success to capitalizing on whatever defense was utilized on her at the time.
“I just prepare for anything they throw at me,” Holland said. “If they’re not going to guard me on the outside, I gotta let it fly. If they don’t fall, then I find other ways to get to the basket. When they come out and guard me, then I know to get my teammates open and I trust them.”
With Liberty opening up in a tight zone defense, Rissler knew patient ball movement would eventually open up scoring opportunities from the perimeter.
The Lady Wildcats responded with eight 3-pointers in the first half and, in turn, forced Liberty to abandon the zone.
The tight man-to-man pressure then opened up driving lanes for Licking’s ball-handlers.
“The first half, [Liberty] stayed in that 1-2-2, and we’ve been preparing for it for a while,” Rissler said. “We talked about being physically tough and mentally tough, and we came out and made shots and we kind of punched them in the mouth right off the bat.”
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Licking took a 36-15 lead into the break and kept its momentum throughout the third quarter, as well.
In the fourth, Liberty rallied behind its dynamic trio of Kaitlyn King, Kinley Richards and Piper Francis.
Francis, an all-state selection with over 2,500 career points, was limited in the title matchup due to an ankle injury suffered in the semifinal round.
Liberty head coach Eli Ernst praised his senior playmaker’s determination and willingness to play through adversity on the evening.
“She wasn’t 100%,” Ernst said. “Everyone in the gym knows it but, man, that girl. She told me the moment [the injury] happened; she goes, ‘I’m playing Saturday night,’ so there was never any doubt there in her mind.”
The limited Francis was hounded throughout the game by Licking’s Lainy Hadix and held to 10 points.
Despite the injury, Rissler was quick to recognize Hadix for her defensive effort on Liberty’s standout guard.
“Piper was limited tonight,” Rissler said. “But still, Lainy did a great job. We just told her to play like the player that you hate to play against; just face guard her — you have no help responsibilities — and she did a great job.”
Down but not out in the fourth quarter, Liberty made a final run late in the game.
The Lady Eagles cut the Licking lead to just eight points with just under a minute remaining, but could get no closer as time ran out.
After the game, Ernst praised his team for its character and never-quit attitude.
“Honestly, we’re champions regardless of the scoreboard,” Ernst said. “When we’re physically just exhausted, we have to play with our hearts, because God gave those girls good hearts and we just want to put it on display.”
King and Richards joined Francis in double figures for Liberty with 19 and 13 points, respectively.
Class 3 District 2 Championship: Licking – 62, MV-BT Liberty – 51
Liberty 11 04 15 21 — 51
Licking 16 20 16 10 — 62
Liberty scoring: Kaitlyn King – 19, Kinley Richards – 13, Piper Francis – 10, Trinity Clark – 7, Kamryn Gastineau – 2
Licking scoring: Karlee Holland – 23, Lainy Hadix – 8, Kiley Ingram – 8, Kylie Taylor – 7, Lexie Hadix – 6, Anna Sullins – 5, Athena Hood – 2, Abby Moncrief – 2, Tomi Rose – 1
