CLINTON— Needing to play one more game to determine the outright Big East Conference champions, the Midland girls basketball team looked to play spoiler in Clinton Friday, February 29, trying to deny the host Prince of Peace a league title.

“We got the okay from the state to play this game,” said Midland Athletic Director Kirk Park as the rare make-up contest came after Clinton Prince of Peace and the Eagles were both eliminated from post-season competition two weeks earlier. “This may be something we never see again. Not only playing a regular-season game this late in the season, but playing it on February 29, and on the same night they played the class 1A state championship.”

While the Midland girls weren’t exactly playing for a state title Friday night, the Irish were playing for an outright Big East crown and a win over the Eagles would seal the deal.

“We wanted to be the team to deny them a title and we sure gave them a run for their money,” said Eagle girls basketball coach Josh Bentley as his team gave No. 14 ranked Clinton Prince of Peace all they could handle before succumbing to a narrow 55-51 deficit. “I was very proud of our girls to come out and play as hard as they did and have a chance to win with a minute to go.”

Midland trailed the Irish 40-35 entering the fourth quarter and after a basket by the hosts to open the final eight-minute stretch, the Eagles were staring at an eight-point deficit.

“We just kept plugging away right to the end,” said Bentley as Aubrey Walters keyed a huge fourth quarter flurry to get the visitors back into the contest. “We played good defense most of the night once we stopped giving them transition baskets, and on the offensive end I thought everyone played well and worked together, especially Aubrey.”

Walters went on a run scoring seven straight Eagle points and trimming what was an eight-point Irish lead to just two points with 4:37 remaining.

After Prince of Peace connected twice at the free throw line with 4:01 to play, Erika Lineburg scored a huge 3-point play making the basket, then adding a free throw to close the visitors to within a point at 46-45 with 3:20 remaining.

“We had our chances to take the lead too and just could never get all the way over the hump,” said Bentley as a clutch Lauren Ryan 3-point field goal for the hosts stretched a 48-47 Clinton Prince of Peace advantage to 51-47 with just 1:07 left to play.

“That was the big shot for them,” said Bentley. “Prince of Peace is a well-coached team and they play very hard and made the plays down the stretch to win. We’ll learn and build from this experience.”
The Eagles continued to battle as Katie Leonard scored with 26-seconds left cutting the Irish lead to two points, but clutch free throws by Brooke Craig and Kylee Hyde sealed Midland’s fate in the final seconds.

CLINTON — Needing one more game to determine who would be crowned the Big East Conference boys’ team champions, the Midland boys basketball received the okay from the Iowa High School Athletic Association to travel to Clinton Prince of Peace Friday, February 29, for a rare post-season make-up contest.

A Clinton Prince of Peace victory over the Eagles would mean a share of the league title for the Irish boys with Preston.

Midland, however wanted to spoil the party, but in the end too much Clinton Prince of Peace firepower from the perimeter and the post resulted in a season-ending 72-50 defeat.

“I was disappointed in the effort we gave in this game,” said Eagle boys basketball coach Matt Hartman after the 22-point loss at the hands of the Irish, who closed the Big East Conference campaign with an 11-1 league mark and tied the Trojans for the team championship. “As a whole I don’t think we played hard or with the intensity we needed.”

Midland struggled from the get-go against a very athletic Clinton Prince of Peace team who wanted to push the basketball up and down the floor and look for easy and high percentage shots.

“I give Prince of Peace all the credit,” said Hartman. “They have a real nice team and are well coached. We were just too stagnant on offense and defensively, we got beat up and down the floor.”

The Irish, who celebrated Senior Night, shot out to a quick double-digit advantage going up by as many as 15 points in the opening eight-minutes The Eagles rallied with a late push to end the first quarter on the short end of a 22-10 score.

The second quarter saw Midland settle down on the defensive end holding the prolific Clinton Prince of Peace offense to a mere 13 points, while adding 11 of their own to trail 35-21 at the halftime break.

“Things got out of control in the third quarter and any shot we had at making a comeback disappeared there,” said Hartman as his team was out-scored 28-13 in the wild frame.