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Battlefield District girls basketball semifinals Date published: 2/20/2009
BY ADAM HIMMELSBACH The Courtland girls basketball team spends at least an hour of its practices in constant motion. They run when there is a chance to walk. They jog when there is a chance to stand still. And while this is certainly not the most fun way for a group of high school students to spend an afternoon, they realize it is one of the most effective. They realize that when games are late, time is short, and legs are sore, it is important that they have an edge on their opponent. "We knew our legs would be under us at the end of the game," Cougars coach Gene Flamm said. "And I think a lot of teams have problems with us because of that." The Cougars overcame a four-point fourth-quarter deficit to send the Battlefield District semifinal against King George to overtime. And in that extra session, Courtland was energized and enthused. It outscored the Foxes, 7-1, and took a 62-56 victory that felt closer than the final score showed. "We were playing horrible the first few quarters," senior center Karina Monroe said. "Then we started playing our game." The second-seeded Cougars will face top-seeded James Monroe in the district title game tomorrow night. The Yellow Jackets defeated Eastern View, 47-35, in last night's other semifinal. The championship will be the fourth meeting between these two teams this season. James Monroe has won two of the first three, but in the most recent one, Courtland was without injured guard Kara Blosser. If the Cougars had been without Blosser last night, it is unlikely they would have advanced. Courtland trailed, 53-52, when Blosser drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 56 seconds left in regulation. King George's Timeah Brooks sent the game to overtime with a layup. But the Foxes were unable to convert a field goal in the extra session. And on several attempts, they were unable to hit the rim. A turnaround jumpshot by Monroe gave Courtland a 58-55 lead with 1:20 left, and the Cougars made 4 of 6 free-throws in the final minute. Monroe had a game-high 18 points and Blosser added 14. But the Cougars' greatest lift came from Jill McLean. The sophomore, who joined the team during Christmas break and entered last night averaging 1.4 points, came off the bench to score 10.
Date published: 2/20/2009
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