Cobden Girls Win Regional

Jenna Lehr made a pair of free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining to boost Cobden to a 52-50 win over host Goreville and a Class 1A high school girls basketball regional championship Thursday, Feb. 12.

"Jenna stepped up for us," Cobden head coach Brian Clark said.

With the game tied 50-50 Cobden had the ball with 12 seconds remaining.

"We called time out and set up our press breaker play," Clark said. "We told them to get the ball to Jenna and she had two options: she'd get the basket or get fouled."

Lehr was fouled on a shot which saw the ball roll around the rim before dropping off.

After Lehr's free throws, teammate Taylor Orsburn stole Goreville's inbounds pass to preserve the win for the Apple-knockers.

The victory was the first regional title for the Cobden girls since 1987 when Sandy Schuster was the head Cobden coach.

"It's been a long drought," Clark said.

The Lady Blackcats pulled ahead 16-11 after one quarter and were ahead 28-19 at the half.

"They outplayed us the first half," Clark said. "We had no offensive rhythm and our shots were falling short. We were playing flat-footed."

But something fired up the squad at halftime.

The seniors on the team asked for a players-only session during  the halftime break of the game.

"They asked to talk to the team," Clark said. "Jenna stepped up then (after the half). They (the team) made some good adjustments."

Lehr, a senior, led the way with 8 points to boost the Appleknockers to a 15-2 scoring run in the third period to pull ahead 41-37 going into the final period.

"They (Goreville) couldn't recover from that run," Clark said.

Goreville's leading scorer Brittany Hood led all scorers with a game-high 26 points.

"We knew going in the game she'd get her 20," Clark said. "We put our best defensive player, Mara Hackethal, on her and Hood had to work for all the points she scored."

Jenna Lehr led Cobden with 21 points. Cassidy Grey added 15 points, Ana Duda and Taylor Orsburn 7 apiece and Mara Hackethal 2.

Cobden advanced to this week's sectional with a 25-4  overall record to play Red Hill.  Goreville finished the season with a 20-8 record.