Banked shot fails to answer Wildcat prayers

By JEFF CASPERSEN, Jr./The Daily Journal

UKIAH — After Ukiah junior Amy Ashurst banked home a game-knotting prayer from 3-point range with 17 seconds left in Tuesday’s North Bay League playoff opener versus Montgomery, fate seemed to be siding squarely with the Wildcats.

Ashurst’s heroics, however, were not enough to lift Ukiah past the visiting Vikings, who outscored the Wildcats 7-2 in overtime en route to a 53-48 win and a berth in the NBL championship game.

Ukiah had an excellent chance to end the game in regulation when, after Montgomery’s Heather Vanltall was whistled for traveling back on the other end, the Wildcats’ Lisa Muzio advanced the ball up the floor, getting off an 18-foot jumper as time expired. Unfortunately for the home squad, the contested heave hit iron and rimmed out.

Montgomery, seeded third in the league tourney, led the bulk of the way, opening up a 17-8 first quarter lead. The Vikings, though, were never able to pull away, building no greater than a 10-point lead at any juncture.

While the Wildcats strength is size, Montgomery relies on its quickness, something the Vikings were able to use to their advantage early, simply outrunning Ukiah.

“We were trying to push it up the floor on them,” said Montgomery coach Tom Fitchie. “Anything to offset their size. Getting the lead early was important. We knew they’d make a run at us. We knew they’d go to their big three down low (Jill Ricks, Ashurst and Muzio).”

Sarah Redding converted an offensive rebound into an easy layup with 1:08 remaining and 51 seconds later, Ashurst — who finished with 15 points — used the glass to tie things up at 46-46.

The teams traded baskets to kick off the four-minute overtime, but Ukiah, which lost Ashurst to fouls with 1:07 left, didn’t score again.

Montgomery’s Charrisse Reece hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final 20 seconds to ice the win for the visitors.

Reece wound up play with 10 points. Raquel Gomes led Montgomery with 17 points. Morgan Johnson dropped in 13 points and Veronica Morris scored 12.

Ricks finished with a game-high 18 points for Ukiah. Muzio scored six, Redding four, Lisa Mercer three and Amanda Boardman had two points.

The Vikings (21-6) advance to face No. 1-seeded Ursuline (22-5), which dismantled Maria Carrillo 64-24 Tuesday, in the league championship game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Wildcats, who finished the year 19-8, must now wait and see if they land a North Coast Section playoff berth. The seeding meeting is Sunday.