WARDSVILLE, Mo. - It seemed like a game destined to come down to the final possession.
Both teams had a chance to pull away for a comfortable lead, but couldn't. Both teams were able to shift the momentum with defensive plays. Both also got the other into foul trouble.
Fortunately for the Helias Lady Crusaders, Ellie Rockers avoided fouling out and scored the deciding second-chance basket in a 59-56 win against the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons on Tuesday.
Down two with 30 seconds remaining, Blair Oaks' contested 3-pointer and second-chance opportunity were off the mark and Helias added a free throw for the final margin.
"We're telling our defense to get to the spots where we needed to be and keep our hands up," Helias coach Alan Lepper said. " It just comes back to fundamental basketball. When you're playing zone, you've got to get to your spots."
The Lady Crusaders appeared on their way to a comfortable victory midway through the fourth quarter when Kylie Bernskoetter drained three straight 3-pointers for a 53-45 lead with 4:11 remaining.
"She's a shooter," Lepper said. "She's going to play for us. She's only a sophomore and the kid's a ballplayer."
Then the combination of Brooke Boessen and Bailey Rissmiller brought the Lady Falcons back.
A Boessen layup with 2:43 left cut the deficit to four and a steal plus a three-point play by Rissmiller made it a one-point game with 1:47 remaining.
Rissmiller tied it at 56 by making a pair of free throws with :45.8 left.
About 15 seconds later, Rockers grabbed an offensive rebound and put it through the hoop for a 58-56 lead. She drew a foul from Boessen, but the free throw was off the mark. The foul, Boessen's fifth, put her on the bench for the final Blair Oaks possession. Boessen led Blair Oaks with 15 points and eight rebounds.
"First game, lots to learn from," Blair Oaks coach Darren Heckman said. "It was a really good environment. It was a fun game to be involved with."
Helias scored the game's first seven points thanks to three steals.
Blair Oaks quickly recovered and tied it at 12 at the end of the first quarter on Rissmiller's buzzer-beating jumper. Rissmiller scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds.
That momentum continued into the second quarter as Blair Oaks held Helias without points in the first six minutes of the second quarter after switching to a zone defense.
"We talked about maybe having to go there just because they play so small," Heckman said.
A Rissmiller steal and two Peyton Kusgen free throws made it 21-14 Blair Oaks with about three minutes left in the first half.
Blair Oaks led 28-22 at the half, but Helias took a 39-38 lead on a Rockers three-point play to start the fourth quarter. Rockers scored a game-high 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting and had five rebounds.
"We've got to develop the ability to extend the lead," Heckman said. "We talk about a couple possessions here or there, we extend the lead, life's a lot easier on us. To their credit, they found a way to come back."
The lead changed four more times the rest of the game.
When Blair Oaks got its offense going in the first half, Lepper decided to use a 1-3-1 zone defense to slow down the Lady Falcons. It worked for the most part.
"We started that this summer," Lepper said. "We really like playing it. We're not tall but we're long and lengthy and we get a lot of deflections and turnovers. That's what we need."
Helias (1-0) is back in action next Tuesday at Camdenton.
Blair Oaks (0-1) will begin play in the Tri-County Tournament on Monday. The second-seeded Lady Falcons will face Eldon at 7:30 p.m. at Southern Boone.
Helias won the JV game 57-49.
Bernskoetter paced Helias with 23 points. Ella Meyer added 13 points.
Mallorie Fick led the Lady Falcons with 15 points, while Alyssa Hargus scored 13 points.