BY JAMES SAVILLE
The Mount Ayr Community Raiderettes finished the season as the Class 1A state runner-up as they dropped a 57-55 game to number two ranked and undefeated Exira in the championship game at Wells Fargo Arena on Friday, March 5.
And what a classic battle it was with the outcome not determined until after the buzzer when a ball bouncing on the rim went through for the Exira victory.
“I said at the pep meeting that Exira may have the best player, but the Raiderettes are the best team and the outcome of the game did not change my belief,” said coach Thad Streit. “It took a fortuitous bounce of the ball to allow the Vikettes to get the victory with less than one second left.”
Both teams scored on their first possession before Bailey Myer hit from beyond the arc to give the Raiderettes a 5-2 lead at the seven minute mark of the first period. A conventional three-point play by 6’ 3” Hallie Christofferson tied the game at 5-5 and Maddy Peppers scored a lay-up putting the Vikettes up 7-5 with six minutes left in the opening quarter.
Mount Ayr Community would not score again until Bailey Myer made a free throw with under two minutes left in the first period. Free throws by Christofferson and baskets by Claire Andresen and Becca Pennington made the first quarter score 14-10 in favor of Exira.
The teams traded baskets early in the second period as Megan Doubleday and Bailey Myer scored for the Raiderettes and Ann Walker and Christofferson scored for the Vikettes. Exira led 18-14 before Becca Pennington scored a two-pointer and a Claire Andresen steal and a successful conventional three-point play by Pennington put the Raiderettes up 19-18 with 1:29 left in the first half.
Mount Ayr Community got a basket in close from Tiffany Wimer and added Bailey Myer’s three-ball with seven seconds left in the quarter to give Mount Ayr a 24-20 lead at half-time.
Tiffany Wimer scored to open the second half giving Mount Ayr Community its biggest lead of the game at 26-20. Hallie Christofferson pulled down one of her game high 13 rebounds and converted the lay-up and the foul shot to cut the lead to 26-23. The big center duplicated the feat on the next offensive Exira possession tying the game at 26-26.
The scoring went back and forth throughout the rest of the period with the Raiderettes leading 39-35 after Becca Pennington scored with 2:40 left in the quarter. Maddy Peppers made a free throw and then grabbed the rebound on her unsuccessful second attempt and scored giving the lead back to the Vikettes 40-39 with just over a minute left. Jensen Stewart took the ball strong to the rack allowing the Raiderettes to have a 41-40 lead heading into the final eight minutes.
Tiffany Wimer made two free throws, but Christofferson did likewise for Exira keeping the difference at one, 43-42. The Vikettes would score the next six points, giving them a 48-43 lead with just over four minutes left in the game.
Jensen Stewart hit from the right side cutting the lead to 48-45. Mount Ayr Community continued to battle the much bigger Vikettes, but were unable to hit their one- and-one free throw opportunities allowing Exira to hold a 48-45 lead with just two minutes left.
Christofferson made two more free throws and those were matched by Becca Pennington, keeping the margin at three, 50-47. Ann Walker made two more charity tosses, but nine seconds later Becca Pennington had the scoreboard showing 52-49 with just over a minute left in the season. Ann Walker remained perfect at the line allowing the Vikettes to inch closer to the title with just 25 seconds left.
A missed Raiderette field goal and another free throw by Christofferson had the Exira fans anticipating a state title as the scoreboard read Exira 55, Mount Ayr 51 with just over 20 seconds left.
Becca Pennington drove to the hoop and drew a foul and calmly made both free throws cutting the lead to 55-53 with 15 seconds left. Becca Pennington wrested the inbound pass away from Christofferson and although she missed the lay-up, teammate Tiffany Wimer grabbed the rebound and tied the game at 55-55 with 4.6 seconds left in regulation.
The Vikettes tried to get the ball to Christofferson on a long court play, but the ball got loose when Tiffany Wimer got a hand on it but Chelsea Nelson pushed the ball ahead to Ann Walker, whose desperation lay-up at the buzzer hung momentarily on the back iron before falling into the net making the Vikettes the 2010 1A champions 57-55.
Halle Christofferson led all scorers and rebounders posting her third double-double of the tournament with 27 points and 13 rebounds. Ann Walker added 13 (including the final crushing shot) and Maddy Peppers also scored 13 for Exira. The Vikettes hit 56 percent from the floor and 85 percent from the line on Friday. Mount Ayr made 35 percent of their field goals and 77 percent of their free throws in the contest.
Becca Pennington led the Raiderettes with 19 points and Bailey Myer reached double figures again with 13 points. Tiffany Wimer closed out her Raiderette basketball career with a team leading nine rebounds and tallied eight points. Jensen Stewart dished out six assists and Bailey Myer topped the team in steals with five against the Vikettes.
Bailey Myer and Becca Pennington were both selected to the all-tournament team, which was announced at the close of the game.
The other members of the team were Hallie Christofferson and Ann Walker of Exira, Morgan Halverson of Martensdale-St. Mary’s and Newell-Fonda’s Susan Kies.
In summation here is a partial list of some of the accomplishments of the 2009-2010 Raiderette basketball team. The 26 victories is the most ever recorded by a Mount Ayr girls basketball team. Their 18-0 start was the best ever and this past week the Raiderettes won their first contest at a state tournament.
They followed that with another victory and became the first Mount Ayr Community team to play for the state championship. Bailey Myer and Becca Pennington are the first Raiderettes to be selected to the all-tournament team.
The final game did not conclude the way the Raiderettes, coaches, and hundreds of fans would have liked, but that’s the way events happen sometimes. The Raiderettes created lasting memories for themselves and hundreds of others who live in Raiderette Country. These young ladies were outstanding representatives of the community as they played with heart, determination and class the entire season. So, Raiderettes, in the eyes of many, are champions.