Clutch free throws, key stops push Stamford past Holliday in Eula Classic title game
A nine-point deficit with 1:30 remaining in regulation wasn’t enough to hold Stamford back.
The Bulldogs scored nine points in the final two minutes of the championship game of the Eula Classic against Holliday, sending it to overtime. From there, Stamford rode its momentum and won 58-52, clinching the tournament title.
“Just never give up,” Stamford head coach Joe Crabb said. “You never know what might happen.
Trailing 46-37, Stamford played stingy defense in crunch time. The Bulldogs forced several turnovers and stops in a row, closing the gap to just three points with 30 seconds left.
The Bulldogs forced another stop and had possession with time winding down, so Tylee Jo Bevel fired a 3-pointer from the corner with four seconds left and drew a foul.
She went to the free-throw line.
“I was thinking I have to do it for my team,” Bevel said. “It depended on that moment, so I had to make a play.”
As Bevel prepared to shoot three times from the charity stripe, the pressure of the moment didn’t faze her. The senior actually heard her father, Brad, from the stands. He told her to calm down and take a deep breath.
Those words of encouragement paid off, as Bevel sunk all three and sent the game to overtime.
“I just kind of dialed in, and you don’t hear distractions after that,” Bevel said.
Crabb added, “It was unbelievable free-throw shooting. That shows resilience.”
Stamford gave up an easy basket on a defensive lapse to start overtime, but after that, it was all Bulldogs. They took a 51-50 lead with two minutes left in overtime and never surrendered their advantage.
The Bulldogs made their overtime free throws and played keep away to clinch a win and the Eula Classic championship.
“It was a great performance in the end,” Crabb said. “We knew our defense, we’ve always relied on that, that’s our bread and butter. We got looks and made plays.”
Before the comeback, Stamford’s offense struggled to penetrate Holliday’s defense. But thankfully for the Bulldogs, they kept within striking distance, thanks to a well-executed full-court press.
“It was really good,” Crabb said. “They know immediately when they make mistakes, and they correct them.”
Lainee Lefevre led the Bulldogs in scoring with 14 points. Shandlee Mueller, Bevel and Audrey Brewer also finished in double figures, notching 12, 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Holliday win came after Stamford took down Miles, Lingleville and Tolar earlier in the tournament. The Bulldogs won those three contests by a combined 141 points.
Stamford — 12-2 overall, 1-0 district — is well prepared for the conference season after a busy week of winning. Crabb thinks the Holliday win will be the most beneficial as the Bulldogs head into the meat of their schedule.
“This is what we needed,” Crabb said. “This is realistic to what we’ll see in the district games and the playoff run, so this is better for us.”
The Bulldogs play their second district game on Jan. 4 against Anson. Anson recently finished second place in the nearby Anson Holiday Tournament.
Stamford 58, Holliday 52
POINTS: Stamford, Lainee Lefevre 14, Shandlee Mueller 12, Tylee Jo Bevel 11, Audrey Brewer 10, Bresha Applin 6, Laylonna Applin 5. Holliday, Katy Jo Piper 17, Payton Murray 10, Kenna Wood 9, Campbell Jurecek 9, Carissa Griffin 5, Addison Lindemann 2.
Carson Field is the area sports reporter for the Abilene Reporter-News. He covers primarily Big Country high school sports. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com" target="_blank">digital subscription to reporternews.com.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Stamford Bulldogs win Eula Classic title game over Holliday Eagles
