Message from Assistant Director of Sports Information Trevor Wenners: Interested in reliving some of the best games at LaGrange College? We are going back and exploring some of the most jaw-dropping wins in Panther history.
Madison Barker '16 was in the right place at the right time on Feb. 4, 2015.
With the LaGrange College women's basketball team trailing, 56-55, to archrival Piedmont in Mariotti Gym, Barker grabbed an offensive rebound with one second left and converted the game-winning shot at the final buzzer for a 57-56 victory.
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"It was surreal," said Barker. "I had no idea that there was going to be a dog pile after. I am claustrophobic, so that part was not fun. I always loved competing against Piedmont. I am glad that we were able to get a win at home."
The Panthers won with a balanced attack. Shaye Butler '15 finished with a team-high 13 points and a game-best nine rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench. She went 2-for-5 on 3-pointers and 5-for-6 from the charity stripe.
Barker scored eight points on 4-for-7 shooting from the floor, to go along with four rebounds. Lauren Johnson '18 tallied game-highs of five steals and four assists, in addition to nine points and four boards. Morgan McDonald '16 (8 points, 3 assists) and Kelsey Mitchell '16 '18 (4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) played their roles well.
"This is a game that I will never forget," said Mitchell. "The excitement was through the roof. Once that shot went in and the buzzer went off, the crowd rushed the floor. We had the best fans who kept the energy throughout the game. A big shoutout goes to Madison for making the difficult shot for the win."
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The Panthers shot well from beyond the 3-point line, going 7-for-16 (43.8 percent). LaGrange's swarming defense hindered the Lions' offense. Piedmont only shot 32.8 percent from the floor (19-for-58) and 18.2 percent from beyond the arc (2-for-11).
LaGrange's depth was a key ingredient to the win. The Panthers held a 24-12 advantage in bench points. The hosts also led in rebounds, 41-35, and assists, 14-5.
Piedmont built a 19-17 lead with 4:45 left in the first half, but the Panthers ended on an 8-2 surge. Johnson stole the ball with 45 seconds left, and then Barker converted a layup off a feed by Butler, giving the Panthers a 25-21 lead heading into halftime.
A 3-pointer by Johnson gave the Panthers a 34-24 advantage with 17:14 remaining in the second half. LaGrange went in front by 14 twice in the second half, the largest leads of the game. The Lions made a late push and took the lead for the first time in the second half at 56-55 with 1:22 on the clock.
The Panthers refused to wilt under pressure and regained control of the ball with 20 seconds left off a turnover by Piedmont. Mitchell generated the winning play by driving down the right side of the lane. Even though her shot was off the mark, the penetration collapsed the Lions' defense, presenting Barker with a second-chance opportunity.
Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lagrange.edu.
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