O’FALLON, MO – Danielle Moore wanted to make amends.
The Francis Howell senior was late in her defensive rotation and committed a foul that allowed Fort Zumwalt West to completely erase a 20-point deficit and tie the game in the waning seconds Monday.
“I kind of messed up when I switched too late, so I really wanted to make up for it,” Moore said.
Moore executed a slick post move, got fouled and drained the game-winning free throws with seven seconds remaining to propel Francis Howell to a 49-47 victory over the Jaguars in a Gateway Athletic Conference first place showdown Monday at Fort Zumwalt West.
Francis Howell (17-4, 5-1 GAC South), which defeated Zumwalt West for the second time this season after losing eight consecutive games to the Jaguars, now stands alone atop one of the most competitive conferences in the state of Missouri – one that includes Troy (16-5, 4-2), Zumwalt West (15-5, 4-3) and Francis Howell Central (12-6, 2-1).
“It’s such a brutal conference. We have four (games) left, three at home. We’re in position now, we just have to finish,” Francis Howell coach Scott Cleer said.
Finishing was an issue for the Vikings on Monday as Fort Zumwalt West stormed back from a 42-22 third quarter deficit to knot the game at 47 after a free throw by Jayla Young with 18 seconds remaining.
The crowd was cheering, the Jaguars’ pep band was rocking, and Cleer decided to let his team play out the final possession without whiteboard instructions.
“When they tied it, I didn’t feel like we needed to call timeout because we didn’t want (Fort Zumwalt West) to get set,” Cleer said.
The ball quickly entered the midpost, where Moore held it high, drop-stepped into the lane, and took contact on her arm as she attempted an 8-foot baby hook.
“I felt some open space so I drove,” Moore said.
She stepped to the free throw line, received a bounce pass from the referee, took one dribble and swished the first free throw before the Jaguars’ fans had time to stomp their feet.
“The more time I think about it, the less I’m likely to make it because my mind wanders a lot,” Moore said.
Moore used the same speedy routine and swished her second shot to give Francis Howell a 49-47 lead with seven seconds reamining. A frontcourt steal by Amaya Porchia prevented the Jaguars from attempting a final shot at the basket.
In losing eight consecutive games to Fort Zumwalt West from 2020-24, Francis Howell did not score more than 43 points in any of them. On Jan. 30, 2024, the Jaguars’ speedy and lengthy zone defense held the Vikings to four first-half points.
“It’s an unbelievable zone,” Cleer said.
But in their first meeting this season, Moore dominated the interior for 18 points and five offensive rebounds in a 66-45 Howell victory – the most points surrendered by the Jaguars in any game for the past seven years.
In an effort to take away Moore on the interior, Fort Zumwalt West tweaked its zone defense for the rematch, but Francis Howell was ready. Moore became a high-post passer and found open and willing perimeter shooters as the Vikings drilled six threes in the first half.
“We got hurt on the inside last game, so we were trying to take that away. We were over-rotating and they were hitting shots,” Fort Zumwalt West coach Chad Towers said.
Francis Howell’s quick ball movement and pinpoint shooting accuracy led to a 16-0 run to close the first quarter that included a triple by Emma Hoffman and two by Reagan Celeste, who drained a logo three from the tip of the ‘W’ to close out the quarter.
“Our main thing was trying to break down the defense by working the ball in and out. We drew them in, and once they drew in, we kicked it out for open threes,” said Celeste, who led the Vikings with 11 points.
The Jaguars changed up their zone again and even tried a triangle-and-two defense, but when Mikayla Gavlick sank a corner three for the Vikings’ sixth triple of the half, Francis Howell entered the locker room with a commanding 37-21 lead.
“The message at halftime was that we had an opportunity to see what we’re made of,” Towers said. “We’ve got some athletes, so we went man-(to-man). At that point we’ve got nothing to lose.”
A Riese Grier three-ball gave Howell a 20-point lead at 42-22 before the Jaguars started to claw their way back into the game.
Heidi Pickett, who scored 15 of the Jaguars 21 first-half points, swished her fourth triple of the game to slice the deficit to 42-29, and soon the rest of the Zumwalt West pack went on the hunt for steals and hoops.
“We didn’t shoot particularly well in the first half, but we said, ‘Keep shooting, have confidence and we’ll see a couple (shots) go down,’ and we did. The momentum slowly started to go our way and we started to believe,” Towers said.
Consecutive threes by Makenna Jennings and Madison Blonenkamp sliced the deficit to seven points, and when Madison Washington and Jayla Young stole passes and sprinted in for breakaway layups, the deficit was trimmed to 46-43 with 1:08 remaining.
“I knew they were going to make a run. They’re a really good team and (Towers) is a really good coach. I give them credit. They’re really athletic and they got all over our kids,” Cleer said.
But against a Jaguars team that is known for its suffocating defense, it was the Francis Howell defense that made big stops when the game was slipping away. Rhianne Toebben drew a crucial fourth quarter charge, and after Washington drained a three to slice the Zumwalt West deficit to 47-46, Celeste swatted away a certain, go-ahead layup to keep the Vikings in front.
“There was definitely a bunch of pressure, and that’s the biggest thing we have to deal with – pressure in big games,” Celeste said. “We had to calm each other down and trust each other as a team.”
Moore’s tardy defensive rotation put the Jaguars on the foul line for the game-tying free throw, but her desire for redemption is what ultimately pushed the Vikings over the finish line.
For Towers, the explosive second half did indeed show what the Jaguars were made of.
“We got after it. I’m really proud of the effort. They never quit,” he said.
Francis Howell (17-4) began last season 14-2 before losing seven of 11 to close out the 2023-24 campaign. The Vikings know a similar, late season swoon will not be a part of this team’s story.
“We really came together as a team this year. In the past, we may have been more separated, but we know that when we work together, we play better, and we’ve been using that to our advantage,” Celeste said.
Toebben added, “We have such great chemistry, and we encourage each other constantly. Having a positive cloud around us is helping us get through the season and helps us play better.”
Photo gallery at: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/2023-24-Girls-Basketball/Girls-Basketball-2024-25/Francis-Howell-at-Fort-Zumwalt-West-2-10-25