YATES CENTER The Yates Center Lady Wildcats put on a gutsy performance on Friday night as they came back on several occasions before securing a 48-41 double-overtime win over Oswego in the Wildcat Winter Classic.
Madelynn Collins hit the shot of the tournament as she drained a 3-pointer from six feet beyond the arc with 0.5 seconds left to knot the game at 41-apiece and send it into the second overtime.
Collins scored a game-high 25 points, which included four 3-pointers pulled down three straight rebounds to close the game before knocking down two clutch free throws to seal the victory.
Speaking of free throws, all Oswego had to do to secure the victory is hit some shots from the charity stripe down the stretch, but six-straight air balls left the game up for grabs, setting up Collins 3-point bomb.
Oswego jumped out to an early 8-0 lead in the first quarter, before Morgan and Madelynn Collins each drained 3s to pull within two points.
In the second quarter, Oswego saw its lead grow to 17-10, but four straight free throws and back-to-back treys from Collins in a span of 30 seconds saw the game go into the break tied at 20.
Collins drained another 3-pointer to tie the game at 23-23 with 7:20 left in the third quarter and she promptly drained a pair of free throws to give the Lady Wildcats their first lead of the game at the 5:32 mark.
The game went back and forth in the fourth quarter, with Oswegos Grace Smith knocking down a layup with 41 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Morgan Collins finished with 10 points, followed by Liberty Cavender with six. Molly Proper had four points and Addison Solander scored three points.
Cherryvale 69, Yates Center 25 (boys)
The Cherryvale Chargers raced to a 10-0 lead in the games opening three minutes and never looked back on its way to a 69-25 route of Yates Center in the third-place game of the Wildcat Winter Classic on Friday night.
The Wildcats never could seem to find their footing after falling behind 23-3 in the first quarter. Caden Graham got the Wildcats first field goal when he knocked down the teams first shot of the second quarter. Graham went on to add three more points in the second as the Chargers cruised to a 49-11 halftime lead.
Connor Griffith managed to add four points in the third quarter, but the Wildcats still trailed 56-20.
The Chargers outscored the Wildcats 9-5 in the final quarter to put the game away.
Graham led the Wildcats with eight points, followed by Griffith and Reece Solander, who chipped in four points apiece. Sean Hurst and Tytan Smoot scored three apiece. Kaden Petit added two points and Jaymond Rice scored one.
