Woodburn Independent Online

North Marion girls win on a buzzer beater

Jennifer Nichols hits game-winning 3-pointer in overtime

• By: Garrett Rudolph  
• Published: 2/5/2010 5:18:08 PM

Photo By: Garrett RudolphNorth Marion players swarm sophomore Jennifer Nichols after she made the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime on Tuesday against Estacada.

AURORA — Wins have been hard to come by this year for the North Marion girls basketball team, but they don’t come any sweeter than Tuesday’s victory over Estacada.
 
The Huskies required not just one, but two, dramatic, last-second shots to secure a 47-46 win in overtime over the visiting Rangers. After leading for the majority of the game, the Huskies had fallen behind by two points with 8.0 seconds remaining in regulation, and North Marion coach Dennis Melcher called a time-out with 2.7 seconds left on the clock.
 
The Huskies ran the ensuing inbound play to perfection, as Briana Martinez found a wide-open Halee Pyatt on a backdoor cut for the game-tying lay-in, to send the game into overtime with the two teams deadlocked at 42-42.
 
In overtime, the Huskies made just one field goal and a pair of free throws, but that was all they needed.
 
Again trailing by two points with less than 10 seconds left to play, North Marion pushed the ball up court, but this time, Melcher elected not to call a timeout.
 
Instead, point guard Jamie Melcher made the pass to Jennifer Nichols with space on the left wing.
 
Nichols hit the game-winning 3-pointer just as the final buzzer sounded, and the game’s hero was enveloped in a swarm of both teammates and fans.
 
“I don’t really remember it, I was on an adrenaline high,” she said afterward.
 
Last year, also at North Marion High School, the same two teams battled through four overtimes before the Huskies were able to emerge victorious. That game was on Nichols’ mind during Tuesday’s contest, and she said the team did a great job of maintaining its composure.
 
“I think from the beginning, we came into this game thinking we need to come out strong and stay strong,” said Nichols. “That was our main goal for the game — to finish strong — and I think we did that.”
 
Coach Melcher said even in those late-game situations, North Marion never lost hope.
 
“Our kids just kind of hung in there,” he said. “They never dropped their heads, they just stayed focused and … they worked hard (Tuesday).”
 
Pyatt led the team with 15 points, followed by nine from Nichols and eight from Jamie Melcher. Jasmine Flores and Ariel Peasley scored five points apiece, while Courtney Lee chipped in three, and Nicole Ferchland added two.
 
With the win, North Marion improved to 2-5 in the Capital Conference (8-12 overall) and moved into a tie for fifth place with Stayton. Estacada fell to 0-7 in league play (5-11 overall). On Friday, the Huskies played at No. 2 Cascade, but details were unavailable at press time.
 
Next week, North Marion will travel to Molalla (4-2, 10-5) on Tuesday, followed by another road game against La Salle on Friday (4-3, 12-7). Both games are scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

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