WWW arkcity.net

By DAVID WOLMAN
Traveler Sports Editor
sports@arkcity.net

The mood in Arkansas City's locker room was quiet following its final home game of the season.

Yet, even in the agony of a heartbreaking loss there was still a silver lining.

After keeping pace with McPherson, No. 3 in Class 5A, for one half last Friday, the Bulldogs again found themselves matching the efforts of a team ahead of them in the AVCTL Division II standings.

Natalie Stinson rallied Ark City from a nine-point halftime deficit and made a layup with no time left in regulation to send Tuesday's game into overtime.

But in the extra session, the Bulldogs had no answers for Chelsea Gronau. She torched Ark City for 10 of her team-high 20 points in overtime to lift Newton to a 54-51 win.

It was Ark City's seventh straight loss, but coach Bill Stinson believes that his team might be turning the corner in a season that's featured more downs than ups.

"At the end of the year, you should be playing your best basketball," he said. "Against McPherson, we played pretty well; and here (against Newton), we played well. Hopefully, we'll do that Thursday."

The Bulldogs (5-14, 1-8 AVCTL Division II) close out the regular season Thursday at Valley Center. With Winfield defeating Campus last night, Ark City will likely open the Class 5A playoffs next week at Kapaun Mount Carmel.

Judging by how Ark City's offense went south in the second quarter after a strong first quarter, it appeared that Tuesday's game was never headed for overtime.

But behind the play of its most seasoned veteran, senior Natalie Stinson resurrected the Bulldogs' offense in the third quarter.

Stinson scored Ark City's first seven points of the third, including a left-handed layup in transition while being fouled by Newton's Sissy Robb. Stinson converted the free throw to get the Bulldogs to within 25-21 less than two minutes into the third quarter.

That woke up her teammates.

Kasha Hunt hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 27-27 later in the third.

All of this came after the Railers held a 23-14 halftime lead.

After Gronau hit a three-pointer to open the fourth quarter for a four-point Newton lead, the Bulldogs were able to stay within a single possession the remainder of the quarter.

Val White recorded a steal and converted a layup to tie the game at 40-40 with 1:04 remaining.

"I'm really proud of them," Bill Stinson said. "We kept fighting and came back and picked up our intensity."

White finished with five points and two rebounds.

Reanne Yoder drove the lane for a layup and a 42-40 Newton lead with 12 seconds remaining.

But like Natalie Stinson had done earlier in the second half, she rescued her team one more time.

Stinson received the ball in the left corner and curled to her right. With time winding down, it didn't appear that she was going to get a shot off in time. But Stinson drove the lane and had a layup bounce off the rim and fall in as the buzzer sounded to send the game into overtime.

"We got things set up and it kind of got out of whack," coach Stinson said. "But she got it up in time, and I was glad."

Natalie Stinson made her last career home game memorable, finishing with a season-high 30 points, including 12 of 14 at the free-throw line.

And she single-handedly carried the Bulldogs in overtime.

After Gronau opened the extra session with her third three-pointer on the night, Stinson answered with a three-point play less than a minute later to tie the game at 45-45.

Stinson gave Ark City its only lead in the extra session, 47-46, hitting a short jumper with 1:20 remaining.

But Gronau responded with a three-pointer on the ensuing possession, and hit three of four free throws in the final 25 seconds.

When asked about Gronau's strong shooting night, Bill Stinson replied, "We talk about that all the time, 'where's their shooters? We just have a tendency to lose them, and the same thing happened in overtime."

After Gronau hit two free throws for a four-point lead with 25 seconds remaining, Natalie Stinson twice pulled the Bulldogs to within a single possession.

Stinson recorded a putback off her own miss with 13 seconds remaining. She then made two free throws with seven seconds remaining -- but it wasn't by design.

"We were going to purposely miss it (the second free throw) and tip it out for a three," Bill Stinson said.

But Natalie Stinson's second foul attempt bounced high off the glass and in, cutting Newton's lead to 53-51.

Gronau made only one of two free throws with four seconds remaining for a three-point Newton lead.

Ark City had one last chance, but Stinson wasn't able to get off a shot in time.

After a back-and-forth first quarter, Ark City's offense struggled in the second. Newton limited the Bulldogs to a Natalie Benton free throw and a Stinson three-pointer. Newton outscored Ark City 12-4 in the second quarter for a 23-14 halftime lead.

Benton finished with seven points and six rebounds.

Newton 11 12 8 11 12 -- 54
Ark City 10 4 15 13 9 -- 51

Newton -- Gronau 20, Briar 8, Robb 7, Yoder 7, Lehman 4, McMullen 2, Saylor 2. Totals 15 (5) 9-14 54.
Ark City -- Stinson 30, Benton 7, White 5, Jordan 4, Hunt 3, Sturd 2. Totals 12 (3) 18-24 51.