New Haven storms back after slow start to end Oran's season with 47-41 victory

JACKSON — Mackenzie Wilson made a pair of late second-half 3-pointers, giving New Haven the spark it needed to beat Oran 47-41 in a MSHSAA Class 2 sectional girls basketball game Wednesday night at Jackson High School.

The Shamrocks (17-10) will face defending state champion Ellington (23-4) in the quarterfinals at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Sikeston Field House. Ellington beat Naylor 65-44 in Wednesday’s sectional round.

Wilson’s 3-pointers trimmed the Eagles’ lead to 18-10 at halftime before New Haven outscored them 18-2 in the third quarter to take a 28-20 lead into the fourth.

“Mackenzie Wilson hitting those two 3s right before halftime, that brought life back into a dead body,” New Haven coach Austin Peirick said. “It gave us life. We talked about it at halftime, being able to drive gaps (and deal with) the top of that zone. They are so long that every swing pass, they’ve got a hand in your face. That was a big adjustment for us. … Credit the girls for executing what we wanted to do. We made a change. They go and do it and trust the process.”

The Shamrocks opened the second half with a 12-0 rally that featured two more 3-pointers by Wilson and one by Emma Rohlfing that gave them a 20-18 advantage, their first lead of the game. Grace Davis drove inside for Oran’s first and only field goal of the third, cutting the lead to 22-20.

Aubri Meyer answered with a pair of baskets, and the Shamrocks took an eight-point lead into the final quarter.

“We talked all year about how sometimes we come out flat (in the third quarter) and we have to figure out how not to do that,” Oran coach Amy Pobst said. “We came out flat and they came out hot.”

The Shamrocks made 15 of 22 free throws in the fourth quarter to finish off Oran. Brenna Langenberg went 8-for-8 from the foul stripe.

Oran trimmed the lead to five (41-36) on a long 3-pointer by Haley Webb with 1:12 to play, but the Shamrocks made 5 of 6 free throws in the final 1:02 to clinch the victory.

Webb scored a team-high 18 points, with 15 coming in the fourth quarter, to lead the Eagles. She was the only Oran player to score in double figures.

Wilson paced New Haven with a game-high 19 points, and Langenberg finished with 10.

The Shamrocks struggled offensively in the first half, making only 4 of 22 shots, including 2 for 10 from inside the arc.

Meanwhile, Oran made its first three shots of the game to take an 8-0 lead. Webb sank a 3-pointer, Traci Hency scored on a feed inside from Emma Priggel and Hope Woodfin made a 3 before Oran went cold from the field.

After making their first three shots, they went 2-for-7 for the remainder of the quarter, but New Haven continued to struggle. Langenberg scored on a driving layup for the Shamrocks’ first points of the game 4:40 into the opening quarter.

Woodfin converted a 3-pointer and Priggel sank a jumper to give the Eagles a 13-2 lead heading into the second.

Both teams struggled with turnovers in the opening quarter, with each committing six apiece.

Oran made only one shot from the field in the second quarter — Taylor Hobbs’ 3-pointer early in the quarter. The Eagles finished 1 for 8 from the field in the second but increased the lead to 18-4 on a pair of free throws by Hobbs.

Oran will graduate five seniors — Hannah Boshell, Rylee Boshell, Hency, Lydia Tankersley and Woodfin — from a squad that finished 16-6.

“They’ve been a great group of girls,” Pobst said. “It’s been amazing to see them grow over the last few years and see the leaders they’ve become. They are definitely an essential part of our team. We’re going to have big shoes to fill next year.”

Oran 13 5 2 21 — 41

New Haven 2 8 18 20 — 48

ORAN — Haley Webb 18, Traci Hency 6, Hope Woodfin 6, Taylor Hobbs 5, Hannah Boshell 2, Grace Davis 2, Emma Priggel 2. FG 14 FT 6-8 F 21. (3-pointers: Webb 4, Woodfin 2, Hobbs. Fouled out: Davis.)

NEW HAVEN — Mackenzie Wilson 19, Brenna Langenberg 10, Peyton Sumpter 8, Aubri Meyer 6, Emma Rohlfing 4, Natalie Covington 1. FG 12 FT 18-26 F 14. (3-pointers: Wilson 4, Sumpter 2. Fouled out: none.)