Our final basketball broadcast in 2021 saw the Oldenburg Academy Lady Twisters upset the Switzerland County Lady Pacers 44-39.
At the game’s beginning, it looked as if OA was going to run Switz out of the Feldhaus as the host Twisters jumped out to a 14-0 lead. The Pacers did score six points in the final 50 seconds but trailed 17-6 at the first stop. Ellie Ryan led the stormy ones with nine points.
The second quarter was a defensive gem by the Swiss which forced a dozen turnovers and outscored OA 18-4. The Pacers led by three at the break, 24-21. Maddie and Jessie Duvall combined for 20 of the 24 Pacer points.
But as good as the Switz defense was in period two, OA’s defense was even better in the second half. The Twisters adjusted and held the Duvall sisters to just five combined points over the final 16 minutes.
The two teams were tied at 27 after three quarters but Oldenburg finished the night on the high side of a 44-39 final.
Ellie Ryan closed with a game-high 19 points for the 4-8 Twisters. Teammate Emma Weberding followed with 15. Hannah Haverkos only scored four but was very disruptive defensively.
Maddie and Jessie Duvall netted 13 and 12 points respectively for the Pacers who are now 11-3.
Both teams struggled to make free throws in the second half. Oldenburg hit 5 of 11 after not logging an attempt in the first half. Switz was just 3 for 13 (8/19 overall).
For the game, the Pacers did force the Twisters into seven more turnovers (27-20) but OA was 16 rebounds better (27-11). The hosts shot 59 percent from the field (19/32) while the visitors converted 37 percent (13/35).
Switzerland County won the JV game 42-24. Maddie Levell led Switz with nine. She was followed by Bri Stow with seven and Dakota Richards with six. Both Sara Lamping and Gracie Ripperger of Oldenburg scored six as well.
We thank Oldenburg AD Patrick Kolks for the accommodations and hospitality. We also thank coaches Eric Feller and Brooke Todd for their information and time in our pregame show.