Benton upends No. 1 Williamsburg

WILLIAMSBURG -- Quiet for three quarters. Explosive in the fourth.

Madison Weekly scored 14 of Benton Community's 16 points in the final period -- including two free throws with 13 seconds left -- and the Class 3A sixth-ranked Bobcats upended No. 1 Williamsburg, 41-39, in a Wamac Conference West Division girls' basketball game Tuesday night at Williamsburg High School.

"We were thinking, 'All right, she's got to get rolling,' " said Benton Coach Laurie Donald. "She did."

In a final period that featured three ties and five lead changes, the Bobcats (5-0 overall, 1-0 Wamac West) had the final say.

More specifically, Weekly spoke last.

"We knew it was going to come down to the wire, because that's what happens when we play them," said the junior guard. "My teammates got me the ball when I was open."

Williamsburg's Lindsay Schlabaugh scored from the heart of the lane with 15 seconds left to tie the game at 39-all, but after a timeout, Weekly took a long pass on the run, drove and was fouled.

She sank both free throws to put Benton in front, then Kelsey Brecht came up with a steal to thwart Williamsburg's last gasp.

The Raiders (5-1, 0-1) held Weekly to four points in the first three quarters. She finished with a game-high 18.

"We ran a few more sets for her, and she turned it up a notch," Donald said. "She's that type of player. She wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away."

In a game in which neither team led by more than four points, the difference was obvious: Free throw shooting.

Benton was 8 for 10 from the line; Williamsburg was 3 of 13.

"You can't beat a good team when you miss that many from the line," said Williamsburg Coach Aaron Feddersen. "The sad thing is, our effort was outstanding. We couldn't have played any harder."

When Weekly was quiet, her teammates kept the Bobcats in the game. Then, their star carried them home.

She scored on a baseline jumper to start the fourth quarter, added a basket after an offensive rebound, then tacked on a couple of 3-pointers and four free throws. Her last trey put the Bobcats up, 37-35, with 3:40 to play.

Benton had two chances to stretch the lead, but missed a pair of front ends of bonus opportunities, then Molly Boland made two foul shots to tie it at 37-37 with 47 seconds left.

Brecht hit a pair of free throws to reclaim the lead for Benton with 37 seconds to go, then Schlabaugh got the Raiders even again with her jumper at the 0:15 mark.

Rebecca Bridgewater added seven points for Benton. Sara Petrzelka grabbed 12 rebounds.

Schlabaugh and Paige Greiner paced Williamsburg with 13 points apiece. Mackenzie Bigbee snagged 15 boards.

BENTON COMMUNITY 41, WILLIAMSBURG 39

At Williamsburg

BENTON COMMUNITY (41):

Ashley Mills 1-6 0-0 2, Madison Weekly 6-17 4-4 18, Rebecca Bridgewater 3-7 0-1 7, Kelsey Brecht 1-2 4-4 6, Sara Petrzelka 2-8 0-0 4, Jordyn Brunssen 0-4 0-0 0, Elizabeth Embray 1-3 0-1 2, Elizabeth Thompson 0-1 0-0 0, Mikayla Larsen 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 15-52 8-10 41.

WILLIAMSBURG (39): Paige Greiner 5-17 0-2 13, Lindsay Schlabaugh 6-14 1-3 13, McCall Meade 1-2 0-0 2, Mackenzie Bigbee 2-6 0-4 4, Molly Boland 1-2 2-2 5, Tina Lane 1-8 0-2 2, Kali Slaymaker 0-0 0-0 0, Sadie Ritchie 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-49 3-13 39.

Halftime: Benton 17, Williamsburg 17. 3-point goals: Benton 3-14 (Mills 0-2, Weekly 2-8, Bridgewater 1-3, Brunssen 0-1), Williamsburg 4-16 (Greiner 3-10, Schlabaugh 0-1, Meade 0-1, Boland 1-1, Lane 0-3). Team fouls: Benton 11, Williamsburg 10. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Benton 39 (Petrzelka 13), Williamsburg 36 (Bigbee 15). Assists: Benton 8 (Bridgewater 3), Williamsburg 5 (Greiner 2). Steals: Benton 13 (Brecht 5), Williamsburg 9 (Greiner, Schlabaugh 2). Turnovers: Benton 14, Williamsburg 17.

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