PARKERSBURG -Can't stop Maggie Boelter. The only hope is to contain her and Williamstown didn't do either.
The Parkersburg Catholic senior point guard scored a career-high 31 points to lead the Crusaderettes past the Yellowjackets 69-65 in overtime Monday night at PCHS.
Boelter knocked down five 3-pointers, including a long-range bomb from the top of the arc to put PCHS in front 61-59 with 35 seconds left in regulation. She didn't score in the extra four-minute session, but the damage had been done as the Crusaderettes scored the first seven points in overtime.
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Williamstown’s Shannon Cieslewski grabs a rebound in a crowd of Parkersburg Catholic players as Katlyn Richards, Carrie Roedersheimer and Emily Koerber attempt to knock the ball away. Catholic defeated Williamstown, 69-65, in overtime. (Photo by Jeff Baughan)
"Maggie Boelter was the difference," Williamstown coach Fred Sauro after his Yellowjackets were swept in the home-and-home series with PCHS. "She seems like she is darn near unstoppable. She really is good."
PCHS freshman Leah Hughes added 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while Courtney Ferguson produced a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Another Crusaderette freshman, Maddie Roedersheimer, stepped up in overtime by scoring five of her seven points. Roedersheimer also contributed two rebounds and a steal after regulation.
"The freshmen have played so big coming down toward the end of the season," Boelter said. "I remember when I was a freshman, it's scary in games this big. It is and they were clutch."
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Liz Flowers once again came to the forefront by leading Williamstown with 18 points, but the sophomore was plagued with foul trouble throughout the contest and picked up her fifth personal with just under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
Despite Flowers' absence for most of the fourth quarter, the Yellowjackets managed to recover from a 52-49 deficit and move in front 57-54 on a Courtney Taylor 3-pointer. Williamstown led 59-56 when Hughes converted a putback with 1:02 showing on the clock.
Less than 30 seconds later, Boelter drained the 3-pointer, and following a Williamstown timeout Maddi Postlewaite tied the contest at 61 on a baseline drive with just 24 ticks left in the fourth quarter.
The two teams exchanged turnovers as time expired.
"I thought Williamstown really kept their composure nicely with Liz on the bench," PCHS coach Marty Vierheller said.
Williamstown's first five possessions in overtime resulted in three turnovers and two missed field goal attempts. With under 30 seconds remaining, PCHS had built its advantage to 68-61. Playing their first game in 11 days, the Yellowjackets could pull no closer than four points.
"We just need to get back into our rhythm," Sauro said. "After 11 days, you don't know what to expect. But I was really pleased with our intensity and our attitude as far playing hard and playing with a lot of emotion."
With senior night scheduled today against Gilmer County, PCHS improves to 15-5. Williamstown, which entertains Doddridge County Wednesday, drops to 12-7.
Williamstown jumped out in front early, scoring the first eight points of the game thanks to pair of buckets from Shila Allman, who finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.
PCHS tied the game at 19 just before the quarter ended then scored the first four points of the second period. The deficit reached as many as eight points for Williamstown at 32-24 but the Yellowjackets answered with six straight points.
Boelter's jumper from just inside the 3-point line put PCHS ahead 34-30 at intermission.
In the second half, Williamstown overtook PCHS at 47-45 on an Allman bucket, but Boelter struck again just before the buzzer sounded with a trey of her own.
"Every time we play Williamstown, it's a huge, physical game," Boelter said. "Coming down to the end of the game, I just wanted to put my team in the best position to win and do whatever I could."
