ERIE — Four seniors. One goal.
“We’ve been working for this for four years,” said Annalise Whitcomb, one of the four, minutes after her Cubs defeated Erie 54-50 to secure a spot in the 3A state tournament — playing Nemaha Central on Wednesday at 4:45 p.m., in Hutchinson.
The Cubs trailed only once, 3-2, after Erie’s Ali LaForge answered a short jumper by Aricah McCall with a three. But, the lead never reached more than eight points. That occurred — 54-46 — a second time when Makaylah McCall made her fourth straight free throw in the final 29.4 seconds.
By then Erie coach Ed Ramsey, as animated as they come, had slumped in resignation and Cub faithful, including a boisterous delegation of 200 students dressed for the beach in one of its theme parties, seized on the moment and ramped up their support to a decibel level that nearly lifted the gym’s roof.
If coach Aubrey Jones had to pick a player of the game, she would have had difficulty.
Three seniors who long have been the backbone of the march to a 21-2 record did their share to ensure the Cubs’ season didn’t end on a sour note against a team, with which Jones said “there’s no love lost.”
Makaylah McCall scored 18 points, but didn’t have a great role in that part of the offense until the second half, and it was her four-for-four at the line in crunch time that spelled much of the difference.
“Dad (Travis McCall) told me since I was young that free throws were ‘free’ and for me to learn to make them,” she said. With picture-perfect form — squared shoulder and back spin on her ball the speed of a top — McCall hit nothing but net when “my team needed me and trusted me.”
Erie dropped in a couple of meaningful two-pointers in the final 10 seconds.
Whitcomb had 14 points and a number of key rebounds.
“We knew we had to box out the Erie girls,” McCall said.
Whitcomb carefully followed those instructions, particularly in the second half after Jones reinforced the point during intermission.
“They were tough inside,” Whitcomb said. “Very physical. They grabbed your jersey; they grabbed your hair.”
While Whitcomb and McCall were more evident on the inside, scoring and rebounding, a third senior, Tilar Wells, quietly went about doing what she does best, harass opponents, slip inside to rebound and take advantage at the offensive end with crisp passes and an occasional shot. Her three points, on a shot from far outside, came at an opportune time: 5:10 left in the first half to give Humboldt its first eight-point lead, 22-14.
A play-by-play accounting of the game would be superfluous, it being nick-and-tuck throughout.
Ashley Dillinger, a junior, hit a follow shot at the halftime buzzer to pull Erie to within one, 31-30. An analyst might have raved that gave the Red Devils momentum.
Not so. Makaylah McCall stroked a 10-footer 15 second into the third period. Humboldt never trailed in the second half, although Erie did knot the score at 41 eight seconds into the final period.
The second half was a study in coaching seldom seen on the prep level.
Jones repeatedly switched Morgan Mauk, a sophomore, and Rylan Wilhite, at junior, at the point: Mauk for defense, Wilhite to resume her direction of the offense after missing a gaggle of games due to an injury.
Mauk is the Cubs’ defensive specialist and, just as quick as Wells, duplicates the senior’s ability to make life tough on whoever is handling the ball.
Makaylah McCall and Mauk also hit four straight free throws largely to dispel fears of an Erie rally after the 41 tie.
Cara Barnett, the fourth senior, didn’t play, but no one on the team, least of all Jones, would undervalue her presence. She is the Rudy that makes any team better — to encourage, and, most importantly, to give her all in practice to make her teammates better prepared for upcoming challenges.
Aricah McCall was the third Cub to hit in double figures at 12. Maggie Johnson, a sophomore as is McCall, had four.
“I don’t have words (minutes after the game) for what we’re accomplished,” Jones said. “But, we have unfinished job,” in the state tournament, after going 14-7 last season without a senior on the team and not making it to state.
“I’m so happy,” said Makaylah McCall, in a concluding statement that could have come from the lips of anyone on the team. “It’s a beautiful way to finish your senior year.”
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