EStem overcomes all obstacles

EStem’s Olivia McWilliams scored 21 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in Friday’s Class 3A girls state championship game at Summit Arena in Hot Springs. EStem defeated Harding Academy 47-38, and McWilliams was named the tournament MVP.

EStem’s Olivia McWilliams scored 21 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in Friday’s Class 3A girls state championship game at Summit Arena in Hot Springs. EStem defeated Harding Academy 47-38, and McWilliams was named the tournament MVP.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

HOT SPRINGS - EStem didn’t need much motivation heading into Friday’s Class 3A state championship game, but the Lady Mets found some added incentive and used it to capture its first title.

The Lady Mets shook off the loss of a teammate and a poor shooting performance in the first half by shutting down Harding Academy over the final two quarters as it rolled to a 47-38 victory at Summit Arena in Hot Springs.

“This is truly an indescribable feeling,” eStem Coach Johnecia Howard said. “I am so proud of my team and all the hard work they’ve put in all season. This means so much, not only for us but for our school as well.

“To overcome some of the things that we had to overcome, especially today, showed the kind of heart and determination this team really has.”

Olivia McWilliams, the game’s Most Valuable Player, battled back from a tough start to finish with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals and Gia Hayes added 17 points, including seven during a key stretch in the fourth quarter.

Rose Riley and Anna Lowery had 10 points each for Harding Academy (25-9), which also lost to eStem 41-36 in the Region 2 tournament two weeks ago. Haley Smith chipped in seven points.

EStem (29-6) trailed by as many as 10 points and was down 24-17 at halftime, but it outscored Harding Academy (25-9) 30-14 in the second half to win a state championship in only its sixth year of existence.

Overcoming obstacles is something the Lady Mets have seemingly gotten used to this season.

EStem, which lost in the semifinals last season, had to overcome a 15-point deficit to Paris three days ago to reach the title game, then suffered an unexpected setback with the game barely a minute old when senior guard Rebecca Mosler went down with a leg injury on the team’s first offensive possession.

Mosler, the team’s third-leading scorer, was driving along the left baseline when her left knee buckled. She had to be helped off the floor and never returned to the game, although she rejoined the team on the sidelines with her knee heavily bandaged.

“That is something that you never want to see happen, and she deserved better than what she got in this one,” Harding Academy Coach Rusty Garner said of Mosler. “She’s a heck of a player, a good kid. Sometimes there’s no justice, and I hate that for her and for them.”

To complicate matters, the Lady Mets couldn’t buy a basket early, particularly McWilliams. The University of Central Arkansas signee missed six of her first seven shots and was just 2 for 10 in the first half. She also had to sit out the final 4:19 of the second quarter after picking up her second foul.

EStem stayed within striking distance and led 13-12 after McWilliams’ three-point play with 6:13 left before halftime. But Harding Academy reeled off 11 consecutive points, eight of which came with McWilliams watching from the bench.

“Our kids battled and played hard,” Garner said. “With Mosler hurt and McWilliams on the sideline, they are a little easier to defend, and I thought we did a pretty good job in the first half.

“We knew McWilliams would be back, and with her being on the floor it certainly changes the game.”

McWilliams did just that, scoring seven of her team’s first nine points of the third quarter. She found Hayes alone for a three-pointer that tied the game at 29-29 andlater gave the Lady Mets their first lead since early in the second quarter on her pullup jumper with 7:48 left in the game.

Harding Academy regained the lead on Ally Newby’s layup with 4:31 remaining, but Hayes’ jumper started a string of 10 consecutive points to close out the game. McWilliams hit 5 of 6 free throws over the final 46 seconds to put it away.

“I told the girls at halftime that everybody needed to get a little bit of ‘Beck’ in them in the second half so we can turn the game around and win it,” Howard said. “When I saw [Mosler] go down, I just knew that was going to motivate us to do what we had to do to finish out the season the right way. That’s exactly what they did.”

The Lady Mets finished 18 of 48 (38 percent) from the field but out rebounded the much larger Lady Wildcats 32-22. Harding Academy ended the game 14 of 36 (39 percent) from the field.

Quotebook

“I told the girls at halftime that everybody needed to get a little bit of ‘Beck’ in them in the second half so we can turn the game around and win it.”

EStem Coach Johnecia Howard, on motivating her team after Rebecca Mosler, the team’s third-leading scorer, was injured in the first half of Friday’s Class 3A girls state championship

Sports, Pages 22 on 03/15/2014