HILLSBORO- Park Hills Central senior Halle Richardson stepped to the foul line late in the fourth quarter knowing it had not been a friendly place.
The number of missed free throws had reached double-digits for the Rebels, and Richardson felt the outcome of the game depended on breaking that disappointing trend.
“It’s hard being the only senior, but I knew if we wanted this game, we had to start taking our time and making our free throws,” Richardson said.
Richardson went 4-for-4 from the line to tie the game, then hit the go-ahead layup with 1 minute 40 seconds remaining to lead Park Hills Central to a 46-42 victory over Lift for Life in a Class 5 quarterfinal Saturday at Jefferson College in Hillsboro.
Park Hills Central (27-3), which reached its second final four in program history, advanced to face Benton (26-3) in a Class 4 semifinal at 4 p.m. Thursday at JQH Arena on the campus of Missouri State University.
Lift for Life (14-16) came up big early in the fourth quarter courtesy of the smallest player on the court. Freshman Justice Haynes, standing 5-foot-4, powered into the lane and scored on consecutive trips to give Lift for Life a five-point lead.
It was a welcome sight for Hawks coach Chantrell Polk, who watched her team struggle with perimeter shooting for most of the game.
“Her being small and agile really works to her advantage. There is no way a defender is going to sit down on the floor to defend her,” Polk said. “They all could have done the same thing.”
A beautiful spin move in the lane by freshman Brandi Mills gave Life for Life a 41-35 lead with with five minutes to play.
That is when Park Hills Central made its move.
A tough drive by junior Khloe Discbein, who tied Richardson for the team lead with 14 points, began a 6-0 run that included the four Richardson free throws.
Park Hills Central was 5-for-15 from the free throw line prior to the Richardson makes. Ironically, it was a missed free throw by sophomore Allysa O’Connor that gave Central its first lead of the second half.
O’Connor corralled her own missed free throw and fired a left-handed dart to Richardson under the basket for the go-ahead layup to give Park Hills Central its first lead of the second half with 1 minute 40 seconds to play.
O’Connor, who went 1-for-6 from the free throw line, contributed in every other way, leading the Rebels in rebounds, assists and steals.
“I was having trouble with my free throws, so I knew if I couldn’t make those, I had to make some bigger plays,” O’Connor said.
While free throw shooting became the Achilles Heel of Park Hills Central, perimeter shooting proved to be the weak spot for Lift for Life.
In the first half, Park Hills Central sagged into the paint with their man-to-man defense and invited outside shots. Seniors Lauren Bennett and Kanise Mills hit mid-range jumpers early, but the next nine perimeter shots went awry for the Hawks, allowing Central to take an early lead.
“We knew they were ultra-quick and we had to keep them in front of us or they were going to shoot layups,” said Park Hills Central coach Josh Mapes. “We had to play really good gap defense and we had to block out and rebound.”
Lift for Life made 4-of-15 triples, but three came in rapid succession as the Hawks built their biggest lead. Freshman Diamond Polk drained long range bombs on consecutive possessions to end the first half, and a deep three by freshman Brandi Mills began the third quarter to put the Hawks ahead 29-21.
But the lure of the three proved too enticing, as long rebounds prompted transition baskets for Park Hills Central, and the Rebels closed the deficit to 32-31 heading into the fourth quarter,
That is where the toughness and leadership of Richardson shined – both her mental toughness in hitting pressure shots and her physical toughness in stepping in and drawing charges.
“Taking charges and sacrificing ourselves for each other is what we believe in,” Richardson said.
And as the only senior, a long-awaited trip to the final four is the perfect ending to an outstanding career.
“It’s a great accomplishment. It’s what we’ve worked for our whole lives at Central,” she said.