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By DAVID WOLMAN
Traveler Sports Editor
sports@arkcity.net

WICHITA - Elena Yankova has already seen the ball placed in her hands once this season with a chance to win a game.

On Feb. 2, Yankova hit a game-winning shot to pull out a 38-37 win for the Lady Tigers over Kansas City.

It was the same scenario on Tuesday afternoon - only this time, a season was on the line.

Trailing by one point with 11 seconds remaining, Cowley put the ball in Yankova's hands on the game's final possession.

She set up and got off a 15-foot jumper, while pressured by Cloud County's defense. But her shot bounced off the rim and into the hands of Jermaine Kermis, who ran out the last few seconds to send Cowley to a heartbreaking 56-55 season-ending loss in a Region VI Tournament semifinal at Koch Arena.

Cloud County advances to Tuesday's championship against Barton County, a 62-55 winner over Independence. Cowley finished the season 21-12.

"Devastating," Cowley coach Todd Clark said. "We had kids crying after the game."

Kermis also hit the game-winning layup with 11 seconds remaining, spinning on the baseline before going up for the basket.

Clark didn't think Kermis' basket should've counted, contending that Kermis lifted her pivot foot before going up for the score.

"Absolutely that was traveling," Clark said.

On the previous Cloud County possession, Deandra Schirmer missed an open layup and Gabbie Curtis snagged the rebound. But she lost the ball out of bounds, giving up a glorious chance for Cowley to win the game at the foul line.

Both teams traded one-point leads in the final 1:46. Curtis made one of two free throws for a 53-52 Cowley lead. After Kenya Howard made a pair of free throws 40 seconds later, Whitney Williams hit a jumper on the ensuing possession to regain a one-point lead for the Lady Tigers.

Williams finished with 12 points and six rebounds. Curtis led Cowley with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Cowley had few answers for Howard down low, as she finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

The late-game dramatics could've been avoided if the Lady Tigers sank more of their free throws. They made only 7 of 14 foul attempts, compared to 13 of 18 for Cloud County.

"We shot them bad," Clark said. "That's as bad as we've shot them in a while. That's disappointing."

Both halves were near mirror images of each other.

In the first half, Kenya Howard hit a basket to give Cloud County a 22-11 lead with 6:26 remaining. Falling behind by double digits was only one of Cowley's concerns.

Foul trouble started to become an issue for Cowley. "Bebe" Holloway and Whitney Williams were both relegated to the bench after picking up their second fouls just over two minutes apart midway through the first half.

With Cowley needing a spark, it turned to Noell Jackson. She came off the bench and did just that.

Jackson spearheaded an 8-0 run to bring Cowley even within under a minute left in the half. She hit a three-pointer and then a basket on the next possession to cut Cloud County's lead to 25-22.

Curtis, playing with two fouls, hit a three-pointer to bring the Lady Tigers back all the way from a double-digit hole into a 25-25 tie. Howard hit a basket with 20 seconds remaining for a 27-25 Cloud County lead at intermission.

Jackson finished with 12 points in just under 19 minutes of playing time.

But just like the first half, Cowley had to rally after trailing by double digits.

Katie O'Neill hit three three-pointers within a span of 2 1/2 minutes, as part of an 11-2 run to open the second half for a 38-27 Cloud County lead. O'Neill finished with 13 points.

The Lady Tigers clawed their way back, but didn't get to within one possession until Lauren Cherry hit a baseline jumper with 3:47 remaining.

"We could've given up several times," Clark said.

It stayed that way until the final buzzer.

"It's all disappointing," Clark said. "Anytime you lose its disappointing."

Box score:

Cowley - Curtis 6-15 2-4 15; Williams 6-12 0-2 12; Jackson 4-7 2-2 12; Yankova 3-15 0-0 6; Holloway 1-2 3-6 6; Goodrum 1-1 0-0 2; Cherry 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 22-58 7-14 55.

Cloud County - Howard 7-18 5-8 19; O'Neill 5-14 0-1 13; Schirmer 3-7 4-4 10; Kermis 3-8 1-1 7; White 0-0 3-4 3; Champlin 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 20-56 13-18 56.

Halftime -- Barton County 27, Cowley 25. Three's -- Cowley 4-8 (Jackson 2, Curtis, Holloway); Cloud County 3-7 (O'Neill 3). Rebounds -- Cowley 34 (Curtis 9); Cloud County 46 (Howard 12). Assists -- Cowley: 15 (Yankova 5); Cloud County: 12 (Kermis 3, Howard 3). Technicals: none.