Instincts always find a way of taking over.
Even in The Show’s all-star game setting at the Pepsi Center, where winning isn’t necessarily the name of the game and the stats don’t seem to matter as much, a “W” is always a cherry on top. Just ask Harrison’s Chelsea Lyles.
The senior scored the final six points, including clutch free throws that gave her Blue team the lead for the first time with 25.9 seconds to go. In the process, she led the team back from an eight-point deficit for a 47-43 victory against the White.
“I’ve never been in that situation. I’ve never had to hit clutch free throws like that,” said Lyles, who was named the game’s most valuable player after scoring a game-high 14 points. “I missed the second one (on a one-and-one situation in the first half); I was a little nervous. And when I got on the line again I knew it was my time to make that up.”
The White team, coached by Moffat County’s Craig Mortensen, took a timeout with 21.3 seconds left and designed a play. It didn’t go quite according to plan, and with 12.8 seconds left, Durango’s Megan Cherry lost control of the ball and turned it over out of bounds.
“They start coming back and you start wanting to draw things up and call timeouts and run special plays,” Mortensen said. “But it was a neat experience, to be with these girls.”
Surprisingly, the White could not find anyone to foul as the Blue advanced the ball upcourt. As time expired, Lyles stepped back behind the NBA 3-point line and drilled a shot at the buzzer.
“I just thought, ‘What the heck, let’s try an NBA 3,’ ” said Lyles, who hasn’t signed yet but likely will play for Western Nebraska starting this fall.
Said White team coach Dick Peecher of McClave: “Like I told them, it was great to be a part of this and coach the best girls in Colorado, especially coming from eight (points down and winning; that made it doubly sweet. You try to low-key this, but once it starts, you want to win.”
The Blue’s Lyles and Blakelee Midyett (10 points) of Golden were the only players to reach double figures.
The White team was led by Cherry’s nine-point effort and Limon’s Justine Sandersfeld, who finished with seven.
Blue 21 26 – 47
White 24 19 – 43
Blue – Stephanie Hejde (Rocky Mountain) 2 0-0 4, Lindsey Moller (Longmont) 0 0-0 0, Ali Thorderson (Highlands Ranch) 2 0-0 5, Aija Putnina (Regis) 0 4-4 4, Mallory Cline (McClave) 1 2-3 4, Laura Haugen (Poudre) 0 0-0 0, Blakelee Midyett (Golden) 5 0-2 10, Chelsea Lyles (Harrison) 4 4-6 14, Meghan Heimstra (Silver Creek) 0 6-6 6, Katie Mihalco (Regis) DNP. Totals 14 16-21 47.
White – Alison Cheney (Platte Valley) 0 2-2 2, Megan Cherry (Durango) 2 5-6 9, Emily Stockman (Doherty) 1 2-2 4, Jayna Hartig (ThunderRidge) 3 0-0 6, Raysha Ritter (Grand Junction) 0 1-4 1, Lauren Holm (Dakota Ridge) 1 0-0 2, Kelsie Goudrin (Heritage) 2 0-0 5, Allison Rosel (Doherty) 0 1-2 1, Dana Iverson (Fort Collins) 3 0-0 6, Justine Sandersfeld (Limon) 2 3-4 7. Totals 14 14-20 43.
3-pt. goals – Lyles 2, Thorderson; Gourdin. Total fouls – Blue 12; White 13. Fouled out – None. Technicals – None.
Jon E. Yunt can be reached at 303-820-5446 or jyunt@denverpost.com.
