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Hernando Today

Plenty of fight left

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By MARTY MILLER

Hernando Today correspondent

Published: January 3, 2008

SPRING HILL – With a 1-14 record, no one would fault Springstead girls' basketball Head Coach Todd Toomer if, when his team fell behind River Ridge 29-21 at the end of the third period, he would have thought the game was over.
Instead of giving up, the Eagles made a huge comeback outscoring the Royal Knights 16-5 in the fourth quarter to earn a 37-34 win Friday night in the nightcap of the Springstead Christams Chaos Basketball Tournament.
After tying the score at 21 midway through the third period, River Ridge scored the last eight points of the quarter to take an 8-point cushion into the last quarter.
But the Eagles, who broke an 8-game losing streak Friday night with the win, were led by 11 points from Bryer Zavitz and eight from Lynsay Riddle and six from Christine Brinker.
"The model for this year has been defense and pride," said Toomer. "That's exactly what everyone did tonight, play defense with pride."
After losing 34-25 Thursday night in the opening round of the two-day shootout to The Villages, Springstead came out Friday and again fell behind early as River Ridge led 12-5 after one quarter and 18-15 at the half.
The Eagles tied the score at 21-all with 3:34 left in the third quarter on a three-pointer from Zavitz. But a basket by Laylen Shull, a three-pointer from Amanda McCann and a three-point play from Brittany Kobielnik made it 29-21 after three quarters.
Furious fourth
"We got some three's and it turned out to be a great defensive effort from our kids in the fourth quarter. They came out hard in the last two minutes of the game," said Toomer. "Things just bounced our way in the last quarter."
In the last quarter, the Royal Knights led 32-28 with 2:43 left in the game on two free throws from McCann.
Then the Eagles hit on three three-point baskets in the next two minutes, two from Riddle and one from Zavitz.
Springstead won the game when Toomer went to five guards in the last two minutes of the game and kept the ball away from River Ridge.
In the opening game of the double-header Friday, Michelle McDonald of Crystal River put on an all-around show as the Pirates beat The Villages 48-31.
McDonald led CRHS with 23 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and nine steals.
Briana Jackson helped Crystal River with 12 points while The Villages were led by Cary Morgan with 10 points.

Crystal River 48, The Villages 31
CR 14 13 13 8 -- 48
TV 6 5 10 10 -- 31
Crystal River (48) - Bivens 0, Dixon 0, Balkcom 0 0-2 0, Jackson 5 2-2 12, Bowling 2 2-2 6, Fuller 2 0-0 4, Cleveland 2 1-2 3, McDonald 11 0-2 23. Totals - 22 5-10 48.
The Villages (31) McCue 2 3-4 9, Tate 0, Shivers 1 0-0 2, Morgan 2 6-10 10, Moyer 1 0-0 2, Logan 2 1-5 5, Lipps 0 3-4 3. Totals - 8 13-23 31.
Three-point field goals - McCue 2 (TV); McDonald (CR).
Team fouls - CR 13; TV 12.
Technical fouls - None.
Fouled out - None.
Records - Crystal River (12-4), The Villages (11-5).

Springstead 37, River Ridge 34
RR 12 6 11 5 -- 34
SPG 5 10 6 16 -- 37
River Ridge (34) - Donato 0 0-3 0, McCann 2 2-5 7, Cione
1 1-4 3, Gilmartin 0 0-1 0, Kobielnik 1 6-7 8, Shull 3
3-4 9, Albert 3 1-3 7. Totals - 10 13-27 34.
Springstead (37) - Lariosa 0, Zavitz 3 4-6 11, Tuomey 0 2-4 2, Spaulding 0, Jimenez 2 0-0 4, Donahue 1 0-0 2, Riddle 2 2-2 8, Hughes 2 0-2 4, Brinker 2 0-0 6. Totals - 12 8-14 37.
Three-point field goals - McCann (RR); Riddle 2, Schueter 2, Zavitz (SPG).
Total fouls - RR 17; SPG 23.
Fouled ot - Cione (RR); Spaulding, Riddle (SPG).
Technical fouls - RR coach.
Records - River Ridge (1-16), Springstead (2-14).

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