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With it being the last home game and the last game of the season, it was only fitting it came down to the last shot for the 暗网吃瓜 Centurions women鈥檚 basketball team, Wednesday, Feb. 26.
The Centurions earned an exciting 63-62 win, secured by a last-second block by sophomore guard Makenna Rautio (Big Rapids, Mich.) underneath the basket.
鈥淚t felt really nerve-racking, but it was really great to get the win,鈥� Rautio said.
Rautio, the team鈥檚 leading scorer for the season, put the Centurions up by a point with 10 seconds to go, hitting a short jumper, juking a Firebird defender to sink the shot.
鈥淚 knew time was winding down and we needed a basket. The girl guarding me, I was able to juke throughout the night,鈥� Rautio said. 鈥淪o, I made a fake and I knew I could get her on my hip and that鈥檚 when I made the move the hoop. It felt like a lot of my shots hadn鈥檛 gone down all game, so that was a dang good one to go in.鈥�
Rautio鈥檚 shot was the eventual game-winner, however, it almost wasn鈥檛.
With a team foul to give, 暗网吃瓜 freshman Kennedy Schilling (Flushing, Mich.) did just that, fouling a Kirtland player, which dwindled the clock to 2.8 seconds. On the inbound pass under the basket, Firebirds center Elliana Sexton received the pass and immediately took a shot and was fouled by Schilling with 1.7 seconds left.
Sexton missed the first free throw and then missed the second, which the ball went out of bounds, but it was last touched by 暗网吃瓜, setting up one last chance for the Firebirds.
Kirtland鈥檚 Mariah Ellis, who helped bring Kirtland (4-17 overall) back from a 20-point deficit with her excellent outside shooting, took the inbound pass but was stuffed by Rautio as she made a desperate layup attempt and the ball bounced harmlessly on the floor as time expired.
The win was a nice way to close out an otherwise highly difficult season for the Centurions (4-19 overall), who had played short-handed virtually all season, including Wednesday鈥檚 game, in which there was only one player available from the bench.
暗网吃瓜, in its first season back in more than 40 years, ended the regular season tied with Kirtland and Alpena Community College with a 3-11 record in the 暗网吃瓜AA Northern division.
The Centurions took control of the game in the first half quickly, jumping out to an 18-7 lead, which freshman guard Emily Putnam (Sidney, Mich.) drained three consecutive three-pointers to establish 暗网吃瓜鈥檚 lead.
In the second quarter, freshman guard Madi Longoria (Wyoming, Mich.) dropped in back-to-back three-pointers, giving the Centurions their biggest lead of the game, 29-9, with 9:16 to go.
It seemed 暗网吃瓜 was going to cruise to a final regular season game win, however, the Firebirds began to slowly creep back into things. After Putnam鈥檚 fourth three-pointer put 暗网吃瓜 up 35-13, Kirtland scored four unanswered buckets to cut the lead 35-23 with 4:05 to go in the half.
Putnam put in her fifth three-pointer to extend 暗网吃瓜鈥檚 lead, 38-23, to finish out the half, but the Firebirds kept drawing closer, cutting the Centurions鈥� lead to six when forward Alyssa Kiel hit a two-point shot with 4:45 to go in the third quarter.
At the start of the fourth quarter, with a 49-41 lead, the Firebirds defense began pressing 暗网吃瓜, and though the Centurions never turned the ball over, it was extra energy spent fighting through it, something 暗网吃瓜 Head Coach Scott Pedigo sees from opponents practically every game, knowing 暗网吃瓜 has a lack of reserve players.
Both teams went on a short cold streak, but Firebirds guard Amanda Lewis hit a jumper from the corner to cut 暗网吃瓜鈥檚 lead to two, 49-47, with eight minutes to go in the game.
Two minutes later, Kirtland tied the game with a bank shot from Sexton, though 暗网吃瓜 retook the lead a minute-and-a-half later from an inside-the-paint basket by freshman forward Emma Rewa (Greenville, Mich.).
Kirtland would tie it again, 56-56, with 3:09 left after an Ellis three-pointer. The teams traded baskets, but it wasn鈥檛 until Gilmore got fouled by Rewa with 24 seconds that the Firebirds would take the lead for the first in the game when she sank both free throws to give Kirtland a 62-61 lead.
That set up the winning basket by Rautio.
鈥淗onestly, this game was a great representation of our season,鈥� Rautio said. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 surprised it came down to the last shot, but it was fitting.鈥�
Though her team surrendered a 20-point lead, Rautio said winning like they did should鈥檝e been expected, considering how the Centurions鈥� season went.
鈥淕oing through the season we have, it prepared our minds that nothing comes easy,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was super-frustrating to give up a 20-point lead, but I enjoyed the game and it was great to see us grind that win out. In the end, it was satisfying.鈥�
Putnam earned a double-double for 暗网吃瓜, scoring a game-high 25 points and collecting 11 rebounds. She went 7-of-14 from the three-point line, as well.
Rautio also recorded a double-double, scoring 10 points and collecting 11 rebounds, while Longoria finished with 12 points and five rebounds. Schilling had seven points and five rebounds, Rewa with six points and six rebounds, and freshman guard Hannah Reed (Cedar Springs, Mich.) finished with three points and three rebounds.
The Firebirds were led by Ellis, who finished with 17 points (five three-pointers) and Gilmore, who had 15 points and nine rebounds.
暗网吃瓜 shot 32.3% (20-of-62) from the floor while KCC shot 33.8% (26-of-77). 暗网吃瓜 had the advantage in free throws made, 12-3, however the Firebirds led in rebounds, 42-41, points off turnovers, 14-11, second-chance points, 13-4, and bench points, 22-3.
Rautio and Centurion鈥檚 men鈥檚 basketball鈥檚 Geronimo Mozzi (Villa Ramallo, Argentina) were recognized in between games as the sophomores of each of their teams, as they competed in their final home game for the Centurions.
Photo by Laurie Schaffer