SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Wyoming East guard Madison Clark has a theory she likes to subscribe to as it pertains to attempting shots.
“It’s better to bank it than airball it,” Clark said.
On Friday night, that theory played a major part in the South’s 57-55 victory against the North in the annual North-South Basketball All-Star Classic at South Charleston Community Center, which ended with Clark beating the buzzer on a runner from the paint that banked off the backboard and went in.
“I saw that I was open and once I caught it, I knew they were all going to collapse. I pumped, drove and went for the backboard,” Clark said.
It capped a frenetic finish that saw the North lead 48-47 before a conventional three-point play from Ripley’s Sophie Nichols.
After a pair of Ashlynn Van Tassell free throws tied the game, Nitro’s Hailey Newsome hit a three-pointer to leave the South with a 53-50 lead.
Lincoln’s Ashlyn Riley made 1-of-2 free throws to cut the North deficit to two, but the South executed to perfection out of a timeout, with Chapmanville’s Alaina Evans finding a streaking Clark for an uncontested layup and 55-51 lead.
The North fought back in the final seconds, however, utilizing two Van Tassell free throws to make it a two-point margin, and then getting a steal from Parkersburg South’s Gracie Shamblin that led to the Patriots’ guard tying the game at 55 with two free throws.
Clark then brought the ball up the court and passed to Newsome, before getting it back, dribbling it twice and connecting for the game-winning bucket.
“All these girls have been in close games with tough situations and they’re all built on defensive teams, so we all just brought that together and it brought more strength that we all knew had to do it already,” Clark said.
It was a tight contest throughout, with the South leading 18-13 after one quarter and 29-25 at halftime on the strength of Nichols’ 10 points, all of which came in the opening quarter.
Van Tassell, who helped lead Cameron to three consecutive Class A state championships, kept the North close by scoring 13 points through the first two quarters.
“It’s definitely a lot different playing with everybody that’s really the same skill as you and better ones on the other team. Getting to play with them just makes the game easier,” Van Tassell said. “We all know how to work together and score.”
Bound for Youngstown State to soon begin playing basketball for the Penguins, Van Tassell took the game over in the third quarter, scoring 13 of her team’s 17 points, while the South struggled scoring and faced a 42-39 deficit entering the fourth.
“We all just love to win,” Van Tassell said. “Playing defense is part of the game.”
The North was still in front until Nichols’ late three-point play, and the South never trailed again after that despite needing Clark’s late heroics to secure the win.
Van Tassell, the North MVP, led all players with 29 points and 15 rebounds and made 12-of-18 shots in the process.
Nichols led the South with 21 points and was the team MVP. Clark was one of four other players to score at least six points in the victory.