Moore’s Heroics Not Enough To Spring Upset
R-T Photo/Seth Herrold
Maci Moore stops and knocks down a three-pointer during Trenton’s 37-31 district championship loss on Saturday in Chillicothe. Moore led Trenton, scoring 25 of her team’s 31 points.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
Find out how to advertise here –
Email us! [email protected]
Without the ball in her hand she traversed the court, working to shake off two and three defenders at a time to give her teammates an opportunity to get her the ball.
Moore’s work and Trenton’s defense, both hallmarks for the Bulldogs in a transitional season, nearly provided an upset in the Class 3, District 14 Tournament in Chillicothe on Saturday. But the host Hornets, the top seed in the tournament, escaped Trenton’s upset bid with a 37-31 victory.
The score was a sharp contrast to the team’s regular season meeting back on Dec. 13, when Chillicothe defeated the Bulldogs 58-29 in Trenton.
“The first time we played they rocked us by 30,” Trenton coach Kameron Cool said. “The game plan was to control the pace of the game, to be the team that made the decision when the ball moved and when the ball didn’t and I think that we did that.”
The Bulldogs executed exactly what they set out to, limiting possessions for Chillicothe and contesting every shot. The frustrated Hornets managed just five field goals in the first half as a result.
Trenton, meanwhile, let Moore work on the offensive end, taking time to ensure the best opportunity for its generational talent. She had five points in the first quarter, but really found her stride late in the first half. Despite constant attention from two and, at times, three Chillicothe defenders, Moore hammered in six points in the paint while clearing boards on the other end to give Trenton a 17-13 halftime advantage. Moore had 13 of Trenton’s 17 points, equalling Chillicothe’s total on her own.
“I just had to go off what the other players were doing, figuring out how to get open” Moore said. “Once I did, I just took it all the way. It was hard, but I had Kendall (Crowley) there setting screens to help get me open.”
But the second half began with a 7-0 Chillicothe run, a monstrous stretch in a game that hinged so heavily on the defensive end. Moore tied the game with a three-pointer, Trenton’s first points of the half, and the two teams traded blows from that point.
Late in the third quarter, with Trenton clinging to a one-point advantage, Jordan Hibner knocked down Chillicothe’s only three-pointer of the game. It was a big one and Trenton would not lead again the rest of the way.
After trailing 28-24 entering the fourth quarter, Trenton twice closed the gap to three with possession. Both times Trenton came up empty on chances to tie the game. Chillicothe connected on 7-of-11 fourth quarter free throws to hold off Trenton, which got six more points from Moore over the final eight minutes, to seal the district championship.
Moore led all scorers in the game with 25 points.
“Again I have said it before, (Maci) is the best player that I have ever coached,” Cool said. “She is such a competitor. She wanted that so bad and she did everything she could to try and get that win and battle for her team. Her teammates were looking for her and competing really hard as well. I am really proud of our girls.”
Behind Moore, Trenton got two points each from seniors Lexi Whitaker and McKayla Blackburn as well as sophomore Chandler Lynch.
“(Whitaker and Blackburn) were great teammates,” Moore said. “They were always there to pick everyone up. They were just always there for us.”
With the loss, Trenton closed the season at 15-12 overall.