Awesome AF Cavewoman-Lehi Froggie Girls' Basketball Game

Timp Sports Weekly

February 25, 20012

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at the Region Four girls' basketball finale between my Awesome American Fork Cavewomen and the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies. For a spell, the game was actually riveting -- correction, ribbiting until an Awesome Cavewoman, named Jenna Shepherd, put on a performance that gave her team a really good reason to forget about its home loss to the Froggies last month. As they say in Lehi, let's stroke straight to that story.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Awesome AF Cavewomen Dry Up Lehi Froggies 68-54 in Region 4 Girls' Hoop Finale

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In a Region Four girls' basketball finale at Lehi Feb. 18, the Awesome American Fork Cavewomen dried up the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, 68-54.

With both teams set to go to state, the only things on the line in the game were the matters of pride and bragging rights. Not having a single senior among them on this year's squad, the Awesome Cavewomen wanted to show that despite having dropped a home game to the Froggies last month, they could indeed dry up Lehi convincingly.

The game unfolded with Maile Richardson and Taylor Moeaki guiding the Awesome Cavewomen out to a quick, 5-0 lead. However, the Froggies leaped back within 5-4 on shots from Beth Beeston and Tyra "T-Rod" Rodriguez. Lehi suddenly turned dry in scoring. American Fork then became hot in its shooting. Aided by rebounds by Jenna "Shep Wooly" Shepherd, Moeaki, Richardson, and Taylor Larson collaborated together in creating a 13-4 lead for the American Fork. T-Rod and Beth Beeston swished in shots that cut the lead to 17-8 by the end of the first quarter.

For a little while in the second quarter, it looked as though the Awesome Cavewomen would have Lehi completely dried up. Richardson, Moeaki, and  Shepherd dominated the boards, giving the impression that the Froggies would soon not have a prayer of coming back. A "distant cousin" of Hollywood legend Ursula Andress, Kylie Andrus hit an inside bucket that improved the Awesome Cavewoman lead at 21-8 and gave Froggie fans a good reason to worry about how soon their team would be down by 20 points. 

Beeston hit an inside shot to set off  a 6-0 scoring run that opened a big comeback for the Froggies. Froggie Kaylie Bartholomew pumped two free throws and a jumper to cut the lead to 21-14. For a little while, Fatoto'a Faleao and Terra Tahbo kept Richardson and Moeaki from making offensive rebounds, even though American Fork did secure leads of 22-14 an 24-16 on shots from Shire "Skippy Hobbit" Stephenson and Moeaki. This allowed the Froggies to outscore American Fork 9-2 in the final three minutes of the half. After a Moeaki shot had put the lead at 24-16, Faleao produced a three-point play that tipped the momentum back to the Froggies' favor. Foul shots from T-Rod and Beeston shoved Lehi within 24-23 just before halftime. 

Froggie Kiera Pulham gave American Fork a brief score in the opening of the second half. After Andrus had put the lead at 26-23 in hopes of giving her Awesome Cavewomen much needed breathing space, Pulham hit a trying three-pointer.  Moeaki broke the 26-26 tie with a three-pointer, but Pulham cut the lead to 29-28. Shepherd came forward at that point to swish in shots that denied the Froggies a golden opportunities for leaping out in front. For example, after a Beeston set shot had cut American Fork's lead to 31-30, Shepherd produced a three-point play. Shots from Barholomoew and Tahbo put Lehi within 34-32 and 35-33. When a Moeaki shot put the score at 39-33, the Awesome Cavewomen started rowing away from the Froggies. A Paige Farnsworth trip to the foul line made certain of that. Farnsworth hit her first foul shot, but missed her second one. Rebounding it, Richardson soon produced a three-point play. Mikayla Nelson hit a three-pointer in hopes of tipping the momentum back to the Froggies' favor. However, However, Richardson and Shepherd led American Fork on a 7-0 scoring run that put the lead at 50-36. Tahbo trimmed it to 50-38 just before the third quarter break. 

In the early fourth quarter, Faleao and T-Rod guided the Froggies within 50-42. Producing a rare four-point play, Shepherd went on a shooting spree that kept American Fork more than 10 points ahead for the rest of the game. Lehi couldn't shut her down. Nearly every fourth-quarter shot fired by her sunk through the hoop. Meanwhile, American Fork lost Richardson to fouls. However, through their rebounding and shooting, Shepherd and Moeaki made certain that Richardson's departure from the floor didn't hurt American Fork much. Beeston's shooting, of course, prevented the Awesome Cavewomen from pulling more than 20 points ahead. That was not much consolation for Lehi, though. The Froggies still had to deal with having their regular season end with a loss to a younger team.

Shepherd led American Fork with 22 points while Moeaki added another 19 and Richardson 15. Beeston led the Froggies with 18 points while Bartholomew added another 10.