Webbers Falls girls beat Wister in dramatic fashion
WEBBERS FALLS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
WEBBERS FALLS – The 9-2 Webbers Falls Lady Warriors put on a show for the home crowd Friday in the semifinals of the Arkansas River Shootout Tournament, successfully completing an exciting come-from-behind 45-43 victory over the 4-2 Wister Lady Wildcats, finishing the game with a buzzer-beating three-pointer by offensive leader Anistyn Garner.
Webbers Falls head coach Jordan Garner was happy with the win, but likes his charges to win without the need for the drama.
“I was proud of them,” Garner said. “We didn’t play our best basketball today, but we made big shots when it counted. We made some stops defensively. We went to a man [defense] in the second half, and that was really the difference, because we were able to get multiple stops in a row, then come down and hit buckets.
“Anistyn had a really good shot there at the end, and I guess sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, right? I was proud of them, I thought we played really well, especially in the second half.”
The game started off with Wister pulling ahead by four points in the first quarter, thanks in large part to its defensive rebounding and shooting. The Lady Warriors tried to keep up, scoring 11 points in the second frame, but the Lady Wildcats matched them point for point to keep their four-point lead at 28-24 by intermission.
But the Lady Warriors were not done yet. In the third quarter, they slowed down the Lady Wildcats’ offense. Wister put up just eight points, which fell four points behind the 12 points Webbers Falls earned, tying the game at 36 going into the final frame.
The final quarter of the game was a tense and exciting one, with both teams battling hard for the lead. The Lady Wildcats had a great night, and were getting rebounds and making shots that kept them ahead for most of the quarter. With Wister leading 43-42 and only six seconds left on the clock, the Lady Warriors got the ball to Garner, who had been having a huge night with 23 points already under her belt.
Garner, known for her long-range shooting ability, took the ball and shot a jumper from outside the three-point arc. As time ran out, the crowd held its breath as the ball soared through the air before swishing the net. The crowd erupted in cheers as Garner’s shot went in, giving the Lady Warriors a classic come-from-behind victory.
Garner ended the game as the highest-scoring player, registering 26 points on the night. The young phenom’s last-ditch effort proved to be the difference maker in a game that was full of tension and excitement, one that will be remembered for a long time to come.
Wister’s Kinsey Branscum scored 17 points for the Lady Wildcats.
The Lady Warriors were ecstatic about the victory, and rightfully so. They had just completed an incredible comeback, winning on a last-second shot in a game that looked like it was slipping away from them. Garner’s heroics will be remembered by the Lady Warriors, and fans can only imagine the great things that lie ahead for this young basketball star.
The victory sent the Lady Warriors into Saturday’s championship game against fourth-ranked Class B Whitesboro, a game Webbers Falls lost 61-32 to finish in second place.
WEBBERS FALLS 13 11 12 9 –45 WISTER 17 11 8 7 –43 WEBBERS FALLS – Anistyn Garner 26, Teralynn Colston 10, Samatha Griffith 9.
