1/3/2009
Gettysburg, OH

The Lady Trailblazers had waited a month for a rematch with the Patriots after dropping a non-league game by the score of 46-38 in the first round. The second round game was a league game and the setting was on their home turf.

In the opening period National Trail set-up a box and one to try and shut down Kaila Linkous and were successful in denying her the basketball. Chelsey Royer provided 5 points early on with a three-pointer and a couple a free throws to knot the game 5-5. Tri-Village then opened up a 12-6 first quarter advantage on 5 free throws; Kaila Linkous hit 2 and Adrianna Finkbine 3, and Hillary Frech finished out the period with a corner jumper.

Kaila Burns opened the second frame with the hot-hand knocking down two straight treys from above the arch to give TV their largest lead of the game 18-6 forcing National Trail to call timeout.

The Lady Blazers quietly worked to get back in the game and was assisted by KJ picking up her 2nd foul forcing her to the bench with just a little under 4 minutes. NT had cut the margin to 6 when Alyssa Joyce netted 2 throws… but Burns would hit for the trifecta at the buzzer to give the PATS a 28-19 halftime lead.

In the third quarter TV struggled to get into an offensive flow while the Blazers took to pounding the ball inside. Kate Yeazel and Alyssa Joyce both went for four points each along with 3 other Blazers contributing fielders for their highest scoring quarter to claw back into the game trailing 35-31.

“With Kaila Linkous sitting on 3 fouls we played a little soft inside in the quarter,” said Coach Brad Gray. “Give them credit for taking advantage of the situation.”

Joyce would bang inside again for two straight baskets to tie the score twice in the final stanza. But Tri-Village responded with 6 straight points with Finkbine hitting of 4 of them with a jumper and a drive to the basket. “We told Adrianna that she needed to be aggressive, they were backing off of her daring her to shoot and she made them pay,” said Gray.

Seemingly in control with a 43-37 lead the Patriots turned the ball over twice, an opportunistic Trail team took advantage as Stacy Davis and Joyce made two lay-ups and it was a two-point game 43-41.

With seven seconds to play NT fouled Royer who confidently put two final daggers into the Lady Blazers to seal up the victory 45-41. “Those were big free throws by Royer at the end,” said Gray.

“We are happy with this win, I’ve said this before they (National Trail) are a good basketball team and we knew they would come up with a game plan to take away Kaila Linkous. Give our girls credit they made free throws, hit shots and showed if you take away KJ that we can hurt you with our perimeter game. I feel Kaila Burns might be the best spot shooter in the league and Hillary Frech can knock down shots (3) as well. Chelsey Royer played a nice floor game and hit a three early on and made big free throws at the end. I also feel this was probably the best game of the year for Adrianna Finkbine, she did a nice job of taking what they gave her today,” concluded Gray.

Tri-Village is back in action January 8th at Tri-County North in another league game.

In Junior Varsity action the Patriots lost the rematch with the Blazers 35-29.

Scoring by Quarters:
Tri-Village……12…16…07…10 – 45
National Trail…06…13…14…08 – 41

Tri-Village: (6-4, 2-3)
Hillarie Frech 0-3-0/0 – 6
A. Finkbine 0-2-4/6 – 8
Chelsey Royer 1-1-4/4 – 9
Kaila Burns 3-0-0/0 – 9
Kaila Linkous 0-3-7/18 – 13
Totals 0-3-15/8 – 45

National Trail: (5-4, 3-2)
Kate Yeazel 0-4-0/0 – 8
Stacey Davis 1-1-1/1 – 5
Kaitlyn Stephens 0-3-1/1 – 7
Makayla Abner 0-2-1/2 – 5
Alyssa Joyce 0-7-2/3 – 16
Totals 1-17-4/7 – 41