By Tribune sports staff
The 2009-10 girls basketball season is just in its second week, but Class 2A heavyweights Taylor and Oak Hill had a postseason-caliber battle Tuesday night at Center Court.
No. 5-ranked Taylor turned back No. 1 Oak Hill 70-67 in three overtimes. Oak Hill guard Courtney Moses, a Purdue recruit, hit a 3-pointer to force the first overtime and Taylor guard Courtney Schroeder drilled a 3-pointer to force the third overtime. Both shots beat the buzzer.
“Unbelievable — it was just punch after punch thrown by both teams,” Taylor coach Dennis Bentzler raved. “It was one of those games where you didn’t know who was going to win until the final buzzer went off.”
Taylor guard Shelby Wall connected on eight 3-pointers and scored a game-high 38 points.
“I’ve said all along that Shelby Wall is an Indiana All-Star — she’s the best shooter in the state in my opinion. I was so happy for her because Charlie Hall was here from the Indiana All-Star committee,” Bentzler said.
Moses was just as electric for the Golden Eagles. She scored 29 points before fouling out in the first OT.
“She is without a question the best player in the state in my mind,” Bentzler said. “The 3 she hit at the end of regulation was just as big time as could be, from probably 3 feet behind the arc with somebody right in her face, and it was nothing but net to send it into overtime.”
Schroeder had a clutch shot of her own to close the second OT, knocking down a game-tying triple off Wall’s full-court drive and dish.
Bentzler credited post players Kaitlynne Smith and Mone’y Black for battling 6-fot-4 Oak Hill center Ashley Pickering to a draw. Smith and Black combined for 17 points and Smith had a big game on the boards. Pickering had 10 points.
“The job we did on Ashley Pickering was unbelievable,” Bentzler said, noting Oak Hill had to go without its other key frontline player, Melissa Coolman.
“It was just a see-saw battle. I think their biggest lead was five points and I think our biggest lead was four points. It was a great game between two outstanding teams,” he added.
