There was no quit in the Emporia High girls basketball team Friday night in the semifinals of the Glacier’s Edge Tournament against Derby at Emporia High School.
Trailing 29-18 at halftime, the Lady Spartans overcame that deficit to force overtime and advanced to the Glacier’s Edge Tournament championship game with a 61-53 victory in overtime over the Panthers. The win extended Emporia High’s winning streak to seven while Derby’s seven-game winning streak was snapped.
Derby led throughout the first half and led 11-6 at the end of the first quarter. Emporia High pulled within one on two separate occasions in the second quarter, including at 17-16 before Derby went on a 12-0 run to lead 29-16 and eventually 29-18 at halftime. Emporia High began the second half on an 11-0 run to tie the game at 29 before Derby regained the lead and led 34-32 heading into the fourth quarter. The Lady Spartans took their first lead in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer by Lexsey Dewitt at 43-42 with 3:30 to play in regulation. Both teams exchanged buckets before Emeil Bennett made 1 of 2 from the foul line to tie the game at 46. Emporia High had a chance to end the game in regulation but couldn’t get a shot to drop.
In the overtime period, Emporia High took the lead right away on a basket by Addie Kirmer and never gave the lead back. Emporia High led by as many as eight in the extra session. Kirmer led Emporia High with 30 points, a new career high.
Emporia High girls coach Carolyn Dorsey said the Lady Spartans turned things around after a talk at halftime.
Emporia High improved to 9-1 with the victory. The Lady Spartans will play Blue Valley for the Glacier’s Edge Tournament championship at 2 p.m. Saturday. Blue Valley defeated Highland Park in its semifinal, 62-46. The RV-Doc Pregame Show will start at 1:40 p.m. on KVOE, KVOE.com, and the Audacy App.
The seventh-place game will have Free State taking on Wichita Southeast at 11 a.m. in the junior varsity gym. The fifth-place game will take place at 11 a.m. in the main gym with Shawnee Heights taking on Hutchinson. Derby and Highland Park will play for third place at 12:30 p.m.
