A second-half comeback came up short for the Amherst girls’ basketball team.
The Falcons trailed Oconto 30-16 at halftime of their Division 4 sectional semifinal game March 6 in Menasha and went on to drop a 60-55 decision to the Blue Devils in overtime.
Oconto outscored Amherst 20-7 in the second quarter to build a 14-point, but the Falcons opened the second half with a 9-2 run and added an 8-2 run later in the third quarter to cut the Blue Devils’ lead to 37-35 heading into the fourth quarter.
Hannah Grawey’s three-pointer early in the fourth quarter gave Amherst a 38-37 lead, the Falcons’ first lead since late in the first quarter.
The teams exchanged leads two more times in the period. Oconto’s Laken James hit a pair of free throws with 33 seconds remaining to tie the game at 48-48. Amherst’s Brooke Groholski missed a shot at the buzzer and the game went into overtime.
The Blue Devils quickly built a five-point lead on a three-pointer from Andrea Cisar and a pair of free throws from Emily Shallow. Amherst the lead to two three times in the four-minute overtime, but never got any closer.
Grawey was one of three Amherst players to finish in double figures, as she led the Falcons with 13 points. Kelsey Holderman came off of the bench to finish with 11, while Jaimee Pitt chipped in with 10. Oconto’s James led all scorers with 22 and Jaylyn Jicha scored 18.
Oconto improved to 21-4 and will play Oshkosh Lourdes or Amherst at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 9, in a sectional final at Waupaca High School. Amherst ended its season with a 20-5 mark.