Homecoming hurrah for Diagonal girls

DIAGONAL — Like a typical Friday night basketball game in Diagonal, every square inch of parking space around the school building and gym was occupied for a good few blocks.

On Homecomig night, the Maroonettes came from behind against a five-girl Mormon Trail squad to prevail 47-42 in overtime.

Late in the fourth, Emily Newton, whose 22 points led all scorers, shot-faked and tossed in a layup to put Diagonal up 37-36 with 41 seconds remaining in regulation.

“Emily knows that she needs to perform in order for us to win the game,” Diagonal coach Gina Gunsolley said. “If she doesn’t play well then we struggle. We are dependent on her and Katie (Sobotka) to get us going and then everybody else’s game develops out of that.”

After the Saints’ Payton Gwinn hit one of two free throws, the Maroonettes several had a couple of opportunities but missed two shots to send the game into overtime.

In the extra period, the foul situation finally caught up to Mormon Trail. Katelyn Dent picked up her fifth foul with the game tied 39-39.

Following a made Newton free throw that put the Maroonettes’ up one, Mormon Trail’s four-player offense came up with a bucket on a jumper by Gwinn.

Diagonal’s Cassidy Lohmann proceeded to get fouled and knocked down two free throws. On the ensuing Saints’ possession, Lohmann drew a charge that lit up the gym.

“She’s known for her taking charges,” Gunsolley said. “She’s not afraid to step in there. We actually give stickers for that. She gets a gold star for that and she likes tallying them up. She’s probably got seven or eight on the season already if not more. Her coming off the bench was huge to help us out.”

Lohmann was fouled again and once again, stepped to the line and hit two freebies, which put Diagonal up 44-41.

Mormon Trail’s Kaylee Palmer knocked down a free throw to make the visitor’s deficit two, but the Maroonettes picked up a free throw from Newton, a defensive stop, and two more free throws from Newton to seal away the game.

Just getting there was a task in itself. The Saints’ five players were on the same page for much of the night, hitting the open player against the press and in their half-court offense, often for easy off-the-glass layups.

“I didn’t feel like we did a good job of communicating defensively,” Gunsolley said. “But luckily we got to the free throw line and then they go themselves in foul trouble where we could capitalize on it.”

The Maroonettes allowed the Saints just three points in the second quarter but trouble came early in the third.

Diagonal gave up the first six points of the half without a score itself, and Gunsolley subbed off everyone.

“I chewed on their butt that we just won against Grand View, one of their goals of this season was to beat Murray, and they weren’t performing the way they should be,” Gunsolley said. “We were afraid and backing away from Mormon Trail’s pressure instead of having Mormon Trail fear us for what we have accomplished this year. I chewed on them hard for they need to live up to their expectations.”

The Maroonettes and Saints exchanged blows for the rest of the third and Diagonal took the message to heart with a fast start in the fourth thanks to buckets by Lohmann and Cassidy Becker and claimed its first lead of the game when Katie Sobotoka hit a jumper from the top of the key with just over two minutes left in regulation.. The two battled until the final sequences that led to overtime.

Lohmann and Sobotka finished with eight points each.

The win was the fifth straight for the Maroonettes

UP NEXT — Diagonal (9-3) has lost just one conference game this season. The Maroonettes have a big game looming as they host Lamoni Tuesday at 6 p.m.

MT (42) — Scoring — Katelyn Dent 13, Payton Gwinn 10, Kaylee Parmer 8, Olivia Halferty 6, Grace Hitt 5. 3-point goals — 1 (Kaylee Parmer 1). Team fouls — 19. Fouled out — Katelyn Dent (Three had five fouls, but Dent was the only player removed from the game)

Diag (47) — Scoring — Emily Newton 22, Katie Sobotka 8, Cassidy Lohmann 8, Cassidy Becker 3, Jaci Haidsiak 3, Kasydi Klommhaus 2, Erin Sobotka 1 3-point goals — 2 (Emily Newton 1, Jaci Haidsiak 1). Team fouls — 20. Fouled out — None.

MT(42) — 17 3 10 7 5

Diag (47) — 8 8 8 13 10