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Confidence when it comes to shooting the basketball can be contagious.
Highland's girls basketball team caught the shooting bug the first half and Barneveld the second. When the outcome was finally decided it was Barneveld who claimed a 58-54 win, taking an extra four minutes to get it.
The Cardinals' ability to move the basketball, find the open person and hit their shots translated into a 35-19 halftime lead. Harlee Fredericks had 11 of the points with a trio of three pointers while Bronwynn Halverson and Kate Tarrell put in six and Grace Dreischmeier, who also buried a three pointer, had five for the lead at intermission.
Mya Baker did her best to keep Barneveld competing with 11 points for the Golden Eagles the first 18 minutes and Shelbi Marx added five.
After halftime the Eagles went on a 22-5 run to take a 41-40 lead at 10:45. Marx started it with a hook and Elle Pechan tossed in a deep three to give Barneveld its jumpstart. Hannah Esch followed Pechan's basket with a three pointer of her own then Erin Lease and Baker got baskets to pull within five.
The run continued with a rebound basket by Marx, a basket from the side by Esch and two free throws by Baker.
The Eagles got the lead with 10:41 left on a score from underneath by Bella Sullivan.
Barneveld got to 47 with 4:14 left and led 47-46 before the Cardinals tied it on a free throw by Harper Drury with 42 seconds remaining..
Barneveld had the ball but turned it over with 22 seconds left. Highland had the full length of the court to go, got a shot but missed, creating the need for an extra four minutes.
Marx gave the Eagles their first lead a 49-47 with 3:26 to play when she got a steal and drove to score.
Ella Cody then scored on a drive to tie it for Highland at 2:15.
Baker gave the Eagles the lead they needed at 1:53 when she found herself open in the lane. From then on the Cardinals had to foul for possession. The Eagles put the ball in freshman Izzy Durst's hands and she responded with seven of eight from the line.
Dreischmeier had a basket that made it 56-51 with less than a minute left to play and added a three at the buzzer but it wasn't enough.
Baker led Barneveld with 16 points with Marx adding 13 and Durst 10.
Highland got 13 from Fredericks while Dreischmeier and Halverson both had 10 and Harper Drury nine.
"I am proud of the girls for their effort," said Highland coach Josh Tarrell. "They fought from the opening tip to the end."
"Both teams had their runs," Tarrell said. "We hit our shots the first half and they found their eye the second. We just didn't get it done."
"This was the best we have shot this season," Tarrell continued. "When they got up four in the overtime it made it difficult to come back."
"I was happy with our scoring balance," Tarrell said. "We just didn't have enough to finish."
SCORE BY HALVES
Highland 35 12 7 54
Barneveld 19 28 11 58
BOX SCORE
HIGHLAND 54: (fg-ft-tp) Cody 3-0-6, Fredericks 5-0-13, Dreischmeier 4-0-10, Drury 3-2-9, Halverson 5-0-10, Tarrell 3-0-6, Miller 0-0-0. Totals 23-2/5-54. Fouls-16
BARNEVELD 58: Marx 6-1-13, Fahey 0-0-0, Erickson 0-0-0, Schutz 0-0-0, Thousand 1-0-2, Baker 6-4-16, Pechan 1-0-3, Esch 3-0-8, Sullivan 2-0-4, Lease 1-0-2, Durst 1-8-10. Totals 21-13/17-58. Fouls-14
3 point goals:
H-Fredericks 3, Dreischmeier 2, Drury 1
B-Esch 2, Pechan 1