Fields, Huseman cherish final time coaching daughters in Oil Bowl girls basketball game
Griffin Fields and Amy Huseman shared more in common than being the head coaches of the Oil Bowl girls basketball all-star game Friday night.
Fields and Huseman were also enjoying their final game coaching their daughters. And both girls made their mark on the game.
Fields and the West All-Stars rallied from 17-point halftime deficit, pulling out a 54-52 victory at Rider Fieldhouse. And the Iowa Park coach got to see his daughter, Gracyn, knock down a key shot in that comeback.
It was a much better finish for Gracyn Fields than how her night started. Fields’ first shot came at the free-throw line – and she airballed it.
Her father couldn’t help but laugh on the sideline. The recent Iowa Park graduate regrouped and sank the second free throw.
And that airball was a distant memory when she drained a 3 from the left corner, pulling the West within 44-43 with 3:40 left in the game.
“It was so great to have her as a part of this,” Griffin Fields said. “I’ve loved coaching her basically her entire life. I’m not sure how I’m going to handle next season. She’s always been there. It was so special to get to do this with her one last time.”
Rider’s Kylie Flippin, who played her freshman year under Fields at Iowa Park, led the West with 11 points and was a key figure in the team’s second-half rally. Flippin gave the West its first and only lead of the game, 48-47, with a 3-pointer with 1:50 remaining to play.
“I told Kylie at halftime, ‘This is your home court. This is a chance for you to go out there one more time and go out with a bang,’” Fields said. “I loved coaching her. I knew what she could do. I’m so proud of how she played.”
But Amy Huseman knew where to turn with the East needing a spark.
While it wasn’t necessarily planned, the ball ended up in the hands of Huseman’s daughter, Aspyn, with the game on the line. The recent Archer City graduate drew a foul while shooting a 3-pointer with seven seconds left and the East trailing 52-49.
Huseman made the first but missed the second. She sank the third, pulling the East within 52-51.
After a pair of free throws by Flippin pushed the West lead to 54-51 with 3.4 seconds remaining, it was Huseman again racing up the court, hoping to get a last-second shot off.
Instead, the West opted to foul Huseman, sending her to the line for a 1-and-1 opportunity with half a second remaining. Huseman made the first but didn’t draw iron on an intentional miss on the second attempt, sealing the West’s dramatic comeback.
“This was bittersweet,” Amy Huseman said of her final time coaching her daughter. “It was good to get one last right with her, but it would have been more fun to win. But I’m proud of her.
“It wasn’t actually drawn up for the ball to get into her hands, but it was kind of natural to get it there for her late. I’ve always felt comfortable with her having the ball, and I trusted she would make the right decision with the girls around her.”
Huseman led the East with 13 points. Alvord’s Rachae Fowler added 10 for the West.
OIL BOWL GIRLS BASKETBALL
West 54, East 52
West – Kylie Flippin 11, Addie Farris 3, Raylea Parsons 3, Rachae Fowler 10, Rexa Hand 4, Madison Clark 2, Austin Ford 6, Kaylie Simmons 3, Triston Burns 6, Gracyn Fields 6.
East – Bryanna McRae 2, Raylee Sparkman 6, Stephany Guiterrez 2, Mallory Maxwell 4, Aspyn Huseman 13, Kennedy Stroebel 4, Ashton Carter 7, Sydney Rouillard 8, Mackenzie Andrade 7.
West 8 10 14 22 -54
East 11 24 8 10 -52
Free throws – (W) 4-7, (E) 15-18. 3-pointers – (W) 6 (Flippin, Farris, Parsons, Fowler, Simmons, Fields), (E) 4 (Sparkman 2, Huseman 2).
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: 2022 Oil Bowl girls basketball all-star game score
