Eagles lose championship game in overtime thriller

Barrington rallies from 11 points down, ties it on last-second three-pointer

Posted 3/9/21

With the clock about to expire, Barrington High School senior Nina Gibbons capped an improbably comeback, sinking a long-range three-pointer to tie the Division I State Championship game and send it …

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Eagles lose championship game in overtime thriller

Barrington rallies from 11 points down, ties it on last-second three-pointer

Posted

With the clock about to expire, Barrington High School senior Nina Gibbons capped an improbably comeback, sinking a long-range three-pointer to tie the Division I State Championship game and send it into overtime.

The Eagles had trailed by as many as 11 points against top-seeded St. Raphael’s but rallied in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Caroline McConaghy drained key three-pointers, cutting into the Saints’ lead. And with about six seconds remaining in regulation, the Eagles’ senior guard Gibbons, took an inbounds pass, dribbled up the court and then launched a deep three. The shot swished through the net, tying the score.

In the end, the comeback effort was spoiled by the Saints who outscored the Eagles in overtime and escaped with a 43-38 win.

“I’m extremely proud of the girls,” said Barrington High School Coach Stephen Lenz. “A team full of underclassmen who are literally still learning our system took on a senior laden powerhouse and battled them to the end. The girls never gave up… down 11… down 7, they just kept fighting, which is a testament to their mental toughness.

“Defensively I felt like we played extremely well… we also out-rebounded them for the game which is no easy task when you look at the talent on their roster.”

The game did not start well for the Eagles, who struggled to score early on.

“Offensively, we struggled in the first half… partly due to a little bit of nerves but mostly because you can’t prepare for their length and size. They forced a ton of turnovers in the first half,” Coach Lenz said. “In the second half we adjusted and we pressed in order to create a quicker pace in the game. That’s how we made our run — pushed the tempo, created some turnovers and hit some big shots.

“Nina Gibbons, our lone senior, was the hero of regulation, executing our end of game play by nailing the three to go into overtime.”

In the extra period, Barrington was unable to keep pace with the Saints.

“In overtime, I think we just ran out of gas a bit — it took such a Herculean effort to come back from down 11.”

Coach Lenz said he was proud of his entire team, and happy they gave such a great effort.

“Overall, I love this team — so coachable and they genuinely love each other… we are young and we can build on this experience for next (year),” he said. “Just so thankful we were able to get this season in — it certainly was memorable and so too is this team.”

— By Josh Bickford

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