Blue Jays season ends with quarterfinals loss to Corning

VILLISCA— The Villisca Blue Jays girls basketball team lost in the quarterfinals of Class 1A Regionals once again to the Corning Red Raiders, 42-40, at Villisca High School last Tuesday.

Corning won the game thanks to a put back from an air ball right as time expired. The game had been tied at that point, after Morganne Haer made one of three free throws with less than 20 seconds in the game.

“We knew where the ball was probably going to and who was going to take the shot,” Villisca Head Coach Donna Williams said. “But the offside rebounding with Akin, she just put it right back up.”

Missed free throws and turnovers were an issue for Villisca down the stretch, Williams said.

“All those things together hurt,” Williams said.

Haer helped give Villisca the lead twice during the fourth quarter, courtesy of a pair of free throws. Haer scored all nine of her points in the fourth quarter.

Both teams swapped the lead for much of the first half. Amanda Focht and Jill Vanderhoof combined to score Villisca's first 15 points during the game. Corning went on a run late in the first half and led 23-18 at halftime.

“Defensively, we didn’t get back as well as we should of,” Williams said. “And then we didn’t run through our offense.

Corning slowed down the game to start the third quarter, by burning two minutes off of the clock, but they turned the ball over and failed to score on the play.

“I think it came down to how we played the game,” Williams said.

Focht and Vanderhoof both had double-doubles in the loss to the Red Raiders. Focht was the team's leading scorer with 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting with 10 rebounds, as well as four steals. Vanderhoof had 11 points and 10 rebounds in the game.

To go along with Haer's nine points, the junior point guard also had six rebounds.

The loss marks the third straight Regional loss to Corning in the quarterfinals.

“I’m proud of the girls, they’ve had a great season and there’s nothing to be ashamed of and we learn from our mistakes and that’s how we get better,” Williams said.

The Blue Jays finish the 2011-12 regular season with a 19-4 record.

Villisca’s accomplishments include winning the Corner Conference regular season title, as well as defeating Stanton twice this season.

The Blue Jays also spent much of the season ranked in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union poll.

“I think they’re winners,” Williams said. “They know how to win.”