Smiles turn to snarls and back to smiles for Streaks

Streaks Notebook

Friday, January 19, 2007

The moments leading up to Thursday's Western Big 6 Conference showdown between Galesburg and Alleman were quiet enough - with Alleman coach Jay Hatch leaning back in a folding chair with one leg resting over the other while sitting next to Galesburg coach Evan Massey chatting.

Both men were smiling.

Two-and-a-half minutes into the game, both men were snarling. Massey was accusing Alleman's PA announcer of saying the wrong name on an earlier foul, causing him to leave Taylor Young in the game to pick up her second foul.

"You said 'Lia Anderson,'" Massey barked. "Which was it?"

"Sit down, coach," snarled Alleman sophomore coach Mike Ebner.

Massey yelled something to Hatch, who smirked.

That was just the beginning of what turned out to be an intense, memorable and weird game at Alleman's Don Morris Gym between bitter conference rivals.

"It wasn't fun during the game, but it's fun now," Massey said after the game. "It beats being in a game with 25 people in the stands."

Hatch agreed.

"This is fun - it's no fun when somebody's getting blown out or there's no intensity," Hatch said. "How as a coach can you not like watching kids get after it like that."

Here are some of the highlights that made this game both unforgettable and strange:

- In the first quarter, the score was 3-0 Galesburg over five minutes into the game, then was 3-2 with under a minute left. Galesburg led 6-5 after the first eight minutes. The first quarter was so physical, the crowd let out a collective sigh when the buzzer sounded.

"We were ahead, so I felt fortunate," Massey said. "It doesn't matter if it's 25-24 or 6-5 - as long as you're ahead."

- With 18.7 seconds left in regulation, Alleman's Molly Yeargle hit the second of two free throws. Galesburg inbounded the ball, but a second later the buzzer sounded because Alleman had sent a sub up to the bench before Yeargle finished her second free throw. In four seconds of chaos, Galesburg and Alleman looked confused but kept playing. Young passed the ball to Galesburg's Brenna Saline, who was fouled and set to shoot two free throws with 16.2 seconds left.

Meanwhile, Hatch screamed at an official, who decided to meet at midcourt with the other two officials to decide what happened. They eventually restarted the play and Saline missed a 3-point attempt that would have won the game.

"In my view of what happened, the official at the scorer's table forgot to signal the refs about the sub," Massey said. "The play started, then the ref on the other side blew the whistle. But the ball was already in our players' hands. At least it didn't cost us the game."

- After Galesburg had taken a four-point lead with 25.2 seconds left in overtime, Yeargle attempted a 3-pointer that could have pulled Alleman within one. But the shot bounced high off the rim, then off the top of the backboard before getting lodged in the reinforcement rods behind the basket. Hatch, whose team had likely just lost its chance to come back and win the game, disappeared into Alleman's locker room. He came back a couple minutes later with a broom and - with a frown on his face -he dislodged the ball.

- The Streaks had steadily improved on the free throw line throughout the season, but struggled badly on Thursday. Galesburg missed its first six free throws and ended the game 13 of 28.

"We missed a lot of free throws, but we also did what we had to do to overcome that," said Saline, who was 1 of 4 from the line.

- Alleman senior Amanda Clifton missed the Pioneers' first game with Galesburg due to a suspension. But in her third game back, Clifton showed why she's a three-time all-conference pick.

Clifton had 28 points and nine rebounds, scoring on a variety of off-balance, twisting scoops in the lane and pull-up 3-pointers on the fast break.

"There's a reason why a Division I school gave her a scholarship," Hatch said of Clifton, an Illinois State signee. "She figures out a way to get it done."