Liberty girls top Lee’s Summit on last-second shot

Blue Jays blow huge lead but still top Lee’s Summit with last-second layup. By RUSTIN DODD The Kansas City Star

By RUSTIN DODD The Kansas City Star

Updated: 2012-02-03T05:28:23Z

A near collapse. A controversial ejection. And a last-second layup.

It’s safe to say that’s not how Liberty girls coach Mike Morley drew it up. But in the end, it all worked out. Junior guard Shelby Murtha banked in a game-winning layup on an inbounds play with 0.4 seconds left as Liberty edged Lee’s Summit 39-37 on Thursday night at Liberty. “Our JV team runs it a lot,” Morley said of the curl screen that sprung Murtha. “And that’s the first time we’ve executed it well in a game.” The play came just moments after Liberty sophomore guard Taylor Wetzel knocked down a three from the wing that tied the game at 37-37. The late heroics nearly overshadowed a game that featured two overwhelming momentum swings and a rugged altercation in the second quarter. Well, almost. After Liberty blew open the doors with a 21-3 run to start the game, Lee’s Summit settled in and cut the lead to 23-12 in the final minute of the first half. And this is where things got a little physical. Liberty senior guard Delaney Kiely and Lee’s Summit freshman Micah Wilson were involved in a push-and-shove altercation under the Lee’s Summit basket. An official whistled to stop play, and a few minutes of confusion ensued as the officials sorted things out. The final explanation to Morley and Lee’s Summit coach Brian Bubalo: Wilson had initiated contact with Kiely, who then pushed back before throwing a punch. Wilson and Kiely were both issued technicals, and Kiely was tagged with a flagrant foul that carried an automatic ejection. “That’s how he said he saw it,” Morley said of the official’s account. “I saw our girl throw a punch. … And I also saw their girl throw an elbow to the face.”In any event, the call meant that Liberty, 10-10, would play the second half without Kiely, the team’s leading scorer and an athlete who signed a soccer scholarship with Oklahoma State earlier this week. Lee’s Summit, 8-11, took immediate advantage. Seniors Breana Washington (10 points) and Ali Patterson (16 points) went to work on offense as the Tigers pulled ahead 31-29 in the fourth quarter. Moments later, Patterson added a layup that stretched the lead to 36-31, and Liberty looked out of gas. “You don’t have many games like that,” said Bubalo, who will retire after the season following 11 seasons as the girls coach at Lee’s Summit.But the tide shifted after Liberty sophomore Abbie Gentrup converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 1:15 left. Wetzel followed with her three-pointer and a crucial steal. And the Blue Jays found themselves taking the ball out of bounds with 0.4 seconds left. Just enough time. “To get a win like that is huge, just so we can get them some confidence,” Morley said.

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Liberty girls top Lee’s Summit on last-second shot