Neuqua Valley loses in second overtime

After losing in double overtime in the first round of the Oswego East Holiday Tournament on Monday morning, Neuqua Valley looked back at all the little things it might have done better.

In the end those little things were the difference between winning and losing 53-49 to Yorkville despite overcoming a double-digit first-half deficit.

"Turnovers. It's turnovers. It's what it is," Wildcats girls basketball coach Mike Williams said. "Self-inflicted wounds, that's what we do. We're in the game, we make a great comeback and don't box somebody out to get the rebound. You just can't give teams second, third, fourth chances. And they took advantage of it. What are you going to do? They played hard. Just not playing very smart right now."

Neuqua Valley (5-6) scored first in the second overtime on an Ellie Wisner basket with 2:55 to play. Yorkville (6-7) responded by taking the lead for good on Lexi Sandon's corner 3-pointer. The Foxes then made 3 of 7 free throws down the stretch and grabbed some important offensive rebounds to keep the lead.

"I thought we were going to pull through," Wisner said, "but rebounding was definitely an issue toward the end of the game."

Yorkville coach Kim Wensits credited her team's perseverance for the win.

"I thought the kids did a great job of responding," Wensits said. "I mean, we were down at the end of the game, then we came back, then we were up, then we were down. Ultimately they did a good job of fighting through and not letting a slower second half, a lack of energetic second half, dictate how they played in the overtime."

Junior Jada Devine put the Wildcats ahead in the first overtime with a basket, then helped them recover when the Foxes took a 3-point lead. Devine's basket with 1:06 to go cut the deficit to 1, and her free throw with 32.2 seconds to go tied the game, forcing the second overtime.

"I thought we had it," Williams said. "We were right there. I thought we had the possessions. It's just again it's early. If we're still making these mistakes at the end of the year then either I'm not doing a great job of getting it across or they're not doing a great job of changing the outcome by changing the process."

Neuqua Valley fought back at the end of regulation to take its only lead of the second half on a Claudia Gallegos lay-in with a minute to play. Yorkville sent the game to overtime on a pair of Lily Guerra free throws with 38.4 seconds left.

Wisner led the Wildcats with 15 points, Devine scored 12 and Gallegos 11.

Senior Lexi Meyer scored 16 points to lead Yorkville, and Sandon added 11. Guerra finished with 9.

Yorkville will play Oswego in the second round on Thursday. Neuqua Valley will meet Metea Valley in the consolation bracket Thursday.