MANSFIELD, Ohio — For the first time in a long time, Lexington is atop the Ohio Cardinal Conference standings.
Olivia Kearns hit a pair of free throws with 7.3 seconds remaining as Lady Lex rallied for a 34-32 win over Madison in OCC action Thursday at Madison Middle School.
After going winless in the conference for the past three seasons, Lexington is 2-0 in OCC play. What’s more, Lady Lex (2-1) already has matched last year’s win total.
“It’s hugely satisfying, given the struggles the past few years,” first-year Lexington coach Brian Thompson said. “These girls have learned hot to fight and they are learning how to win.
“They had a ton of fight in them tonight.”
Fourth-Quarter Comeback: Lexington trailed the Rams (0-8, 0-4) 24-19 early in the fourth quarter before coming to life. Brooke Thompson jump-started the comeback with a rare four-point play with 6:23 remaining. The senior was fouled as she drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing and connected on the ensuing free throw to cut Madison’s lead to 24-23.
“That was awesome,” Brooke Thompson said. “I feel like it definitely put the momentum in our favor.”
After a Madison turnover, Lexington took a 25-24 lead — its first of the evening — when Kearns hit a pair of free throws with 6:03 to play. Lady Lex would score 12 of its 15 fourth-quarter points from the free throw line and was 17 for 24 from the stripe on the night.
“That was huge,” Brian Thompson said. “We played Smithville on Saturday and shot 5 of 15 from the line. We felt we had to focus on that and it showed.”
Madison, meanwhile, was just 5 of 19 from the free throw line.
“It’s been an issue all year,” Madison coach Brian Davis of the Rams’ free throw shooting woes. “I don’t know what our season percentage is, but we’re not at 50 percent for the year.”
Frantic Finish: Lexington took a 32-29 lead on a pair of Abigail Adams free throws with 1:09 remaining, before Madison pulled even at 32-32 on Alexis Sneed’s 3-pointer with 50 seconds remaining. The score would remain tied until Kearns hit her fourth and fifth free throws of the night with 7.3 seconds to play.
After a timeout, Madison got the ball to freshman guard Brooklyn Arnold, whose potential game-tying layup was just off the mark. In the ensuing scrum, the ball wound up in hands of Rylie Shaffner. The sophomore wing’s 3-pointer bounced off the rim as time expired.
“We got to the basket, which is what we wanted to do,” Davis said. “Then we got the kick out. We got a good look and it just didn’t fall.”
Leaders: Brooke Thompson led Lexington with 10 points and eight rebounds. Kearns had seven points, eight rebounds and three assists. Adams and Charlotte Kuhn had six points apiece.
Arnold topped Madison with 12 points. Mackenzie Mullins had six points and eight rebounds while Sneed had six points and five rebounds.
