Controversy? Possibly. Enjoyable basketball? Positively. Right here's 5 ideas from EWG's win over Lincoln Faculty – The Windfall Journal

WEST GREENWICH – If the RIIL Division III Women Basketball remaining goes something prefer it did Tuesday night time, it’s going to be an electrical night time of hoops at The AMP.
Lincoln Faculty traveled west with revenge on its thoughts after Exeter-West Greenwich dashed its championship hopes final season. Tuesday, the Scarlet Knights ended the Lynx’ undefeated season after a 45-44 victory that felt extra March than January.
The sport was what you’d anticipate from a pair of title contenders – good, powerful robust basketball with a heck of a comeback and a little bit controversy blended in. A championship wasn’t determined, however Tuesday’s sport might find yourself being one thing to circle again in case these two groups meet once more.
Right here’s 5 takeaways from one of the vital enjoyable video games we’ve seen in women basketball this season.  
It could be journalistically irresponsible to not open dialogue with the play that led to the game-winning factors.  
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After a depressing offensive efficiency for three-plus quarters – some introduced on by EWG, some self-inflicted – Lincoln Faculty battled again and Sarah Berube’s 3-pointer had the Lynx up 45-44 with 33 seconds left.
The Knights’ remaining offense set was chaos, introduced on Lincoln Faculty’s defensive strain.
With the clock ticking down, EWG’s Brielle Frenette saved an airball to Isabella Tramonti, who handed it again to Frenette within the nook. Lincoln Faculty’s Maggie McDonald and Amy Vonklin had Frenette pinned, so she fired a desperation move to Olawuyi within the paint.
Olawauyi had area to make a play and as she lunged to make the catch, Lincoln Faculty’s Reign Whiteing got here barreling in to attempt to cease her and the 2 collided with the ball going out of bounds. A whistle got here in and because the officers mentioned the play, the decision was in – it was a flagrant foul on Whiteing, giving EWG two photographs and the ball with 11 seconds left within the sport.
Watching the replay, there isn’t any doubt Whiteing fouled Olawuyi. From a baseline video, it appears like a tough however frequent foul with Whiting impeding Olawuyi as they each attempt to make a play.
A video of the play despatched to the Journal from the alternative baseline tells the story of the decision – from the again, it appears like Whiteing wasn’t making an attempt to play for contact, not the ball. The official who blew the whistle was positioned on an analogous angle, which brings some readability as to why the decision – made with out the advantage of replay – was made in actual time.
Evidently, Lincoln Faculty coach Cindy Blodgett was lower than enthused with each the decision and the timing of it.
“They each collided. Neither one was taking a look at one another,” Blodgett stated. “I believed she was going to name a double foul and was like ‘OK, that’s truthful.’
“You don’t make that decision once you clearly didn’t play.”
The decision was huge, however the sport was hardly over at this level. There was nonetheless a matter of the free throws.
EWG couldn’t have requested for a greater participant to be on the line than Olawuyi. The junior is aware of a little bit one thing about performing below strain. She’s an All-Stater in monitor and discipline and understands what to do when all eyes are on you.
“The identical nerves come up,” Olawuyi stated. “Flustered, butterflies in all places, however you’ve obtained to take a deep breath, relax and know what you’ve practiced each single day and do not forget that and exit and do it.”
She sank the primary one, drawing screams from her teammates on the bench and people standing behind her at midcourt. The second was additionally a no-doubter.
“I used to be very nervous, however I’ve loads of confidence in Nini,” Herbert stated. “She practices very arduous, she works very arduous and when the second comes, she locks in and is aware of what to do.”
EWG uglied up the ultimate 11 seconds, barely getting the inbound move in play earlier than turning it over with two seconds left, then surviving Berube’s last-second heave that was nearer to entering into than not.
Whereas the ultimate foul benefitted EWG, it wasn’t why it gained on Tuesday.
Lincoln Faculty presents two main issues with what it will probably do offensively – Berube as an explosive scorer and Whiteing as a nightmare to defend inside – however the Knights are one of many few groups that may match up with the Lynx.
EWG’s protection had Lincoln Faculty utterly out of rhythm. Olawuyi knew she what she was up towards with Whiteing and used her size and athleticism to disrupt the highly effective sophomore within the paint and hold her from crushing second likelihood factors.
“She’s a shot blocker and she will get to the rim – she’s good,” Olawuyi stated. “I knew it was going to be matchup. My coach was telling me I needed to put together … and simply going up towards her was superb.
“She’s within the weight room. She’s greater than me and I do know that and I do know I had a drawback. I’ve to make use of no matter else I’ve obtained to cowl her.”
The Knights threw all the things besides the kitchen sink at Berube. Their guards took turns within the man protection, with a assist defender close by. It prevented Berube from striping threes and took away the drive and dish, forcing Lincoln Faculty to depend on its different gamers for factors.
“It was most vital that we work collectively as a group,” Hebert stated. “If somebody was down, we choose them up and assist them. Protection was a group factor for us – it wasn’t only one individual stealing the ball.”
Offensively, EWG scrapped collectively factors. Hebert and Cora Cranston took benefit of Lincoln Faculty turnovers and located buckets in transition. Teammates took turns discovering Olawuyi beneath, driving to the bucket and throwing a bounce move to her on the block when the protection collapsed. Between these and her putbacks, she led the group with 18 factors.
The Scarlet Knights led 13-4 after the primary quarter, 21-16 at halftime and grew the result in as huge as 9 within the third quarter. Lincoln Faculty fought again, reducing the deficit to 32-28 when Berube hit a floater for her 1,000^th profession level. After a short hiatus for the second, EWG had time for one play and made essentially the most of it, with Hebert racing up the courtroom and making a layup simply earlier than the buzzer sounded.
It wasn’t Hebert’s final huge bucket. Lincoln Faculty lastly discovered one thing on offense within the fourth and at last tied the sport at 40 with 2:25 left on a basket by Whiteing. Olawuyi gave EWG the lead again, solely to have Lincoln Faculty’s Alivia Harris tie it with a jumper of her personal.
With lower than one minute left, Hebert discovered herself in transition and the one factor between her and the basket was Whiteing, who had thrown a block occasion all afternoon. Hebert didn’t flinch, went arduous to the bucket and lofted a floater simply over her outstretched arm for the go-ahead rating.
“I’m positively scared [in that situation]. She’s an excellent participant,” Hebert stated. “… I actually had nothing going by way of my thoughts besides make the shot. I actually needed to make the shot and it was simply luck to have it sink.”
The Lynx had been clearly annoyed by how the sport ended and having that be their first lack of the season wasn’t straightforward to take both.
Lincoln Faculty did a terrific job with non-conference scheduling, selecting up wins towards D-II Smithfield and Rogers up to now this season. They’ve run groups out of gyms and had a few powerful video games, however hadn’t struggled in a single like they did towards EWG.
“This actually has nothing to do with the group we simply performed,” Blodgett stated. “We underperformed at the moment and our youngsters know that this group needs to be coached in that method and this group understands that. They will look again at this and know we didn’t play our greatest sport.”
Should you’re going to take an L, shedding a tricky one on the highway in January is lots simpler to take care of than in The AMP in March. The struggles Lincoln Faculty had Tuesday – particularly the turnovers and the poor capturing – are fixable. Berube and Whiteing aren’t the kind of gamers who will take a loss like that sitting down. They’re the very best 1-2 punch in Division III and anticipate them to play with a fireplace the remainder of the best way because the Lynx attempt to chase down the No. 1 seed for the postseason.
“For us, it’s thrilling to say we had been up one till a nasty name on the finish modified that,” Blodgett stated. “We saved preventing, saved preventing on the highway and all of this can be a win for us transferring ahead.”
After shedding two of their first three video games of the season, then dropping a 3rd at dwelling to Prout on Jan. 16, EWG wasn’t reeling – however it wanted a win like this to really feel proper.
The Knights beat Lincoln Faculty in final 12 months’s D-III semifinals, however nonetheless felt just like the underdogs on Tuesday. The fact is, they had been. In the event that they meet once more, they nonetheless can be.
However now EWG is armed with the information that being a favourite or underdog doesn’t matter one bit.
“We have to hold working at it, hold working arduous, set our requirements excessive and work collectively,” Hebert stated. “… I positively assume it was very nerve-wracking, however it teaches us an vital lesson in psychological toughness and preserving our composure through the sport.”
“We’ve obtained to get on a roll, begin one other profitable streak and get on the market,” Olawuyi stated. “What we did right here at the moment we are able to do each sport. We simply must put that work in each single day.”

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