The South Callaway Lady Bulldogs waited a long time to get their first victory of the season, but they did the little things Tuesday night to finally get in the win column.
South Callaway forced 12 turnovers in the fourth quarter and made 6-of-8 free throws in the final eight minutes, snapping a 16-game losing skid to start the season with a 45-41 victory against the Calvary Lutheran Lady Lions.
“We knew it was a matter of time before we were going to get one,” South Callaway coach Daniel Burns said. “Luckily, tonight was the night.”
It was the Lady Bulldogs’ first win since Feb. 16 of last season, when they defeated Russellville 60-40 in their regular-season finale.
“We’ve been close several times,” Burns said. “It seems like in the third or fourth quarter, something happens and then we start to implode. We had moments of that tonight early, but we figured out a way to grind it out and get ourselves back in the game.”
Gallery: Calvary Lutheran Girls Basketball vs. South Callaway
The game featured 11 lead changes and eight ties. Neither team led by more than six points.
It was another tough outcome for the Lady Lions, who nearly overcame an 18-point first-quarter deficit Monday in a one-point loss at Eugene.
“South Callaway played hard tonight,” Calvary Lutheran coach Ty Morris said. “They were hustling, they were after the ball. … When we had a hand in their face, they were knocking some buckets down.”
Calvary Lutheran had the momentum to start the game, jumping out to an 11-6 lead.
“We were definitely trying to get the ball into the post, because that tends to open up the outside shooting,” Morris said. “It’s like the run game opening up the passing game in football.”
Sydney Morris scored a putback layup and then added another layup off a steal. At one point, she scored eight straight points for the Lady Lions and finished with a double-double of 18 points and 20 rebounds.
Morris missed five games due to a right knee injury. Her return to the lineup last Friday has given the Lady Lions a big boost in their post presence the past three games.
“She’s been off for three weeks and she’s knocking the rust off a little bit,” Ty Morris said. “She’s getting to the ball well. The first two games back, her shooting was where you could notice the break a little it. This game, she’s starting to come back around, she’s getting the flow of her shot going.”
South Callaway ended the first quarter on a 6-0 run in the final 2:09 to take a 12-11 lead. The two teams combined to score six points in the second quarter, as a pair of baskets by Sydney Morris gave the Lady Lions a 15-14 advantage at intermission.
The third quarter was a different story, featuring 37 points between the two teams.
Reagan Arrowood shot just 2-of-10 from the floor in the first half, but the South Callaway sophomore scored the team’s first seven points of the second half. She had a steal and a layup to give the Lady Bulldogs a 21-19 lead in the third.
Arrowood scored 12 of her game-high 23 points in the third quarter.
“She’s taking on a leadership role this year,” Burns said. “She was very coachable tonight. We had to pull her off a few times to get her head on right, and she came back in and got it figured out. She helped us secure this victory.”
Lacey Mathews caught an in-bounds pass and drained a 3-pointer from the right corner, beating the buzzer to give South Callaway a 34-32 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Calvary Lutheran took the lead one final time with a offensive rebound and a layup by Sydney Morris -- who had 10 rebounds in each half -- to make the score 38-37 with 2:49 to play.
McKenzie Laughlin got a steal and a layup to change the lead in South Callaway’s favor with 2:04 to play, making the score 40-38.
Many of the Lady Bulldogs’ steals came off a full-court press they used the entire game, making it difficult for the Lady Lions to set up their offense.
“We’ve been pressing for two games, it’s just something we decided to do,” Burns said. “We have the mindset of we’ve got nothing to lose, so let’s do something different.
“The girls love it and it allows us to generate a little more offense.”
South Callaway then sealed the game at the free-throw line, making 5-of-6 free throws when facing a 1-and-1 in the final 1:16.
“You can practice free throws all you want, but there’s no moment like there is in a game, especially when you’re up two or tied with the game on the line,” Burns said. “Our girls just figured it out.”
Arrowood made a pair of free throws with :59.7 remaining to give South Callaway its biggest lead at 44-38. Maddy Sprengel answered with a 3-pointer on the other end for Calvary Lutheran, but that’s as close as the Lady Lions would get down the stretch.
Sprengel joined Sydney Morris in double figures with 14 points for the Lady Lions.
Mathews, South Callaway’s only senior, also reached double figures with 10 points. She made 5-of-8 free throws, including 3-of-4 in the final minute.
“Lacey’s really gritty and she plays so hard, plays with passion,” Burns said. “She shot the ball really well from the free-throw line.”
South Callaway (1-16) continues a three-game road trip with a Show-Me Conference game Thursday at Russellville, while Calvary Lutheran (8-10) hosts Laquey on Thursday.