Loogootee Jr-Sr High School

On Thursday night, the Varsity Lady Lions traveled to Barr-Reeve for a 7:00 p.m. tip against their biggest rival, the Lady Vikings. In a physical, hard-fought rivalry matchup that went down to the final possession, Loogootee came up just short, falling 45–42 in overtime. Loogootee was powered early by Alaina Diamond, who scored all six of the Lady Lions’ first-quarter points while also pulling down five rebounds. The Lady Lions jumped out to a 4–0 lead, but Barr-Reeve edged ahead by the end of the opening frame, taking a 7–6 advantage. The Lady Vikings opened the second quarter with a bucket, but Ava Jeffers answered by finding Diamond in the paint to pull Loogootee within one. Another Barr-Reeve score was met with a strong Jeffers and-1, and Madison Davis followed with a feed to Lydia Hawkins down low to make it 13–12. A kick-out from Jeffers set up an Alexis Heckard three, giving the Lady Lions a 15–14 lead. Barr-Reeve closed the half on top, however, holding an 18–16 advantage at the break. Loogootee opened the third quarter on a 6–0 run, sparked by a Diamond and-1, a Jeffers free throw, and another tough Diamond finish to take a 25–21 lead. Barr-Reeve responded with five unanswered points to regain the lead, and the quarter ended with the Lady Vikings holding a narrow 29–27 edge. The defensive intensity ramped up in the fourth. Nearly three minutes passed before Barr-Reeve broke the scoring drought with a free throw. Lydia Hawkins answered with a perfect trip to the line to tie the game, and a tough Diamond finish followed by another flawless Hawkins trip to the stripe put Loogootee ahead 35–31 late. Late-game pressure proved costly, as Barr-Reeve capitalized on a pair of turnovers and inbounding struggles to tie the game at 35, forcing overtime. Loogootee struck first in the extra period, but Barr-Reeve quickly answered. Sophia Toy drilled a clutch three to give the Lady Lions a 40–39 advantage, yet the Lady Vikings responded again. Barr-Reeve closed the final minute with key baskets, and a last-second half-court attempt from Hawkins fell short as the Lady Lions dropped a 45–42 overtime decision. The loss moves Loogootee to 6–3 on the season. The Lady Lions will look to bounce back quickly as they travel to #10 Springs Valley on Saturday for another tough road test. Alaina Diamond led the Lady Lions, finishing 9-for-11 from the field for 19 points, while also grabbing 16 rebounds and recording 8 blocks. She added 2 assists and a steal, earning her eighth double-double of the season. Lydia Hawkins chipped in 9 points, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line, and pulled down 8 rebounds. Alexis Heckard scored 6 points, while Ava Jeffers added 5 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Sophia Toy knocked down a three, and Madison Davis contributed 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal.