The Greene County girls' basketball team picked up a big-time win in the first round of regional play Feb. 15, securing a comeback victory, 55-51 over Southeast Valley.  BRANDON HURLEY | JEFFERSON HERALD

Girls Basketball: PLAYOFF JUBILATION

Grene County scoots by SEV for rare regional win

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor
sports@beeherald.com

Some small inkling of success had been building for quite awhile. The laws of physics had to be kind at some point.
Year after year filled with postseason disappointments had to come to end, the suffering had gone on long enough.
That fleeting hope finally came to fruition last weekend, as the Greene County girls’ basketball team completed a thrilling 10-point fourth quarter comeback to fly past Southeast Valley, 56-51, securing the Rams’ first postseason win as a consolidated school district.
GCHS drilled seven of their 17 three pointers at a dazzling 41 percent clip while riding the power of four double-digit scorers in their Class 3A, Region 3 first round victory.
The Rams, as a girls’ program - dating back to the Jefferson-Scranton era - last won a postseason contest more than 10 years ago. And fittingly enough, the most recent triumph did not come easily. A late comeback was the perfect cap to a rough and tumble season.
Greene County (3-19) charged out to three-point halftime lead (24-21), but watched the advantage quickly evaporate as Southeast Valley (8-14) produced a 23-point third quarter thanks to a barrage of three-pointers, which sent the Rams to a 10 point deficit entering the fourth period, 44-34.
Another disappointing playoff finish seemed imminent before the Rams ultimately kicked it into high gear and went bonkers from the field.
Greene County poured in 22 points in the final period while holding SEV to a minimal seven points, completing the historic comeback and escaping with a monumental triumph.
The Rams were incredibly accurate from the foul line during the win, especially down the stretch, as they knocked down 19 of their 22 attempts (86 percent), highlighted by senior Izzy Bravard’s perfect night from the charity stripe. She nailed all 10 of her attempts, driving the proverbial nail through Southeast Valley’s coffin down the stretch. The guard finished with a team-high 18 points in addition to six assists and three steals. As a team, GCHS assisted on 11 of their 15 made field goals.
Brianna Osterson produced a spectacular double-double, tallying 10 points (on four-of-six shooting) to go with 10 rebounds. Sadie Wilson scored 16 points thanks to a team-high as well as a season-high four three-pointers (4-of-8) while she also hauled in four rebounds, three steals and two assists. Brianna Habben rounded out the scoring with 10 points on three-of-five shooting to go with eight rebounds (three offensively).
Greene County’s 56 points were a season-high in just their third win of the year, eclipsing their previous high-water mark of 50 points in a win over Saydel back on Jan. 30.
Greene County was set to square off against sixth-ranked Roland-Story (18-3) Wednesday night in the Regional semifinals. The Norse swept the Rams during the regular season, outscoring GCHS by a total score of 161-30. Roland-Story held the Rams below 20 points in each contest, including a low mark of 11 in their 65-point win back on Dec. 20. Roland-Story blitzed Kuemper Catholic, 64-25 in their opening round game.
 

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