Thanks to St. Elizabeth Healthcare Sports Medicine for sponsoring our girls’ high school basketball coverage this season. See all of our girls’ basketball stories here and watch for state tournament coverage March 9-13 from BB&T Arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University.
By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
Ryle senior guard Mallory Schwartz had a cousin who played for the Raiders when they lost by two points in the championship game of the 2010 9th Region girls basketball tournament.
On Saturday, Schwartz put this year’s Ryle team in position to take the title that slipped away six years ago by scoring eight of Ryle’s last 11 points in a 54-51 regional semifinal win over Highlands at BB&T Arena.
Ryle will play Holmes in the regional final at 6 p.m. Sunday with the winner advancing to next week’s St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA “Sweet 16” state tournament that will also be played at BB&T Arena.
Schwartz was limited to three points in the first 29 minutes of Saturday’s regional semifinal game before she stepped up at the end. In the final three minutes, she scored on a fast-break layup and made six of eight free throws to secure the victory.
“I knew this could be my last game and I had to give it all I had out there, and that’s what I did,” she said.
Schwartz is one of seven seniors on the Ryle roster. It looked like all of their high school basketball careers might come to an end when Highlands took a 34-26 lead early in the third quarter. But the Raiders kept their composure and battled back to get the win.
“I was proud of the way they handled that,” said Ryle coach Katie Haitz. “We were down eight points and they dug deep on defense. They boxed out and got the rebounds we needed. That’s what you want to see during the tournament, the things we work on day in and day out.”
Highlands had a similar rally in the second quarter. After trailing by as much as seven points, the Bluebirds came charging back and took a 23-22 lead on a driving basket by senior guard Haley Coffey just before the half ended.
Highlands opened the third quarter with an 11-5 scoring run to extend its lead. Six of the points were scored by sophomore guard Zoie Barth, including a layup that put her team ahead, 34-26, with a little over four minutes left in that period.
That’s when Ryle started its game-winning rally by running off 11 straight points to retake the lead going into the fourth quarter. During that run, Highlands committed three turnovers and went 0-for-6 from the field without getting an offensive rebound.
“I think it all totally switched when McKenzie (Leigh) picked up her third foul and I had to pull her,” Highlands coach Jaime Richey said of her team’s starting center. “I think I put her back in with a minute left. But that’s when they made their run, while she was out.”
The score was tied three times in the fourth quarter and Highlands took a 44-43 lead on a 3-point goal by senior Brianna Adler with 3:08 left on the clock.
Schwartz made a free throw and then scored a breakaway basket off an assist by eighth-grade point guard Maddie Scherr to put the Raiders back on top. They scored their last seven points at the free throw line with Schwartz popping in five of the pressure-packed foul shots.
“We’ve been working on making free throws all year round,” Schwartz said. “I was so nervous when I stepped up there to that line, but I hit them and I couldn’t be happier.”
Each team had three double-figure scorers. Leigh took game-high honors with 15 points and snagged 11 rebounds. Scherr posted a double-double for Ryle with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
“She plays her heart out on the floor and that’s all you can ask for,” Schwartz said of her youngest teammate. “She does it for us seniors, I feel like. She’s like, ‘It’s my last season with them so I’ve got to play the best I can.”
The regional final will be showdown between the top two teams in the Northern Kentucky coaches poll. Holmes has been voted been No. 1 all year with Ryle coming in second. This is the second consecutive year that Holmes has made it to the regional final. None of the Ryle players have ever been this far before.
“We’ve been preparing for this moment since the first day we stepped in the gym last July,” Schwartz said. “We’re ready.”
RYLE 12 10 15 14 — 54
HIGHLANDS 7 16 11 17 — 51
RYLE (24-6): Scherr 5 3 13, Jones 2 0 5, M. Schwartz 3 7 14, Lange 3 5 12, Jump 2 0 4, L. Schwartz 2 2 6. Totals: 17 17 54.
HIGHLANDS (22-11): Adler 4 3 11, Barth 2 8 13, Coffey 2 0 4, Epperson 2 2 7, Leigh 5 3 15, Schmitz 0 1 1. totals: 15 11 51.
3-pointers: R — Jones, M. Schwartz, Lange. H — Leigh 2, Epperson, Barth.