On Tuesday, Mississinewa senior Erika Foy was shut down for the remainder of the 2017-2018 season, as an MRI revealed a small tear in her patellar tendon.
It is a big loss for the Indians, as Foy was their leading scorer and rebounder, and replacing that kind of production can be difficult.
But, head coach Omega Tandy isn’t making any excuses. Basketball isn’t about one player, but a unified group of individuals with a common goal.
“We are not a one-person program,” Tandy said. “I know that has been the perception of who we are, but that isn’t who we are. We have capable girls in our program who can step up. It’s the next woman up.”
In their first game without Foy, the Indians won in thrilling fashion, hitting a game-tying three at the buzzer before going on to defeat the Alexandria-Monroe Tigers 65-62 in overtime on Wednesday night.
In Foy’s absence, the Indians found offense from a plethora of different sources. Freshman guard Alayna Webb poured in 20 points to lead Mississinewa, while Halle Planck and Holli Greer each finished with 16.
“We’ve been preaching all season for our girls to have balanced scoring,” head coach Omega Tandy said. “We lost a key player in Foy for the remainder of the season, so were really challenging our girls to step up. We had a lot of kids step up and put the ball in the basket. Our girls, all season, have been responding to adversity, and tonight, they gritted it out.”
It was a close game throughout, as neither team was able to pull away or make a big run. With just over six seconds remaining in regulation, sophomore Aubrey Tann knocked down the game-tying triple to send the contest to overtime.
Tann’s trey was enough to spark the Indians in the extra period, as they outscored the Tigers 10-7 to secure their 10th victory of the season.
“There were a couple of times we got down by two or three. We would hit a big shot and then they would hit a big shot,” Tandy said. “Earlier in the season, we would have hung our heads. This time, we continued to hit big shots and execute [down the stretch].
“I’m very proud of them, and I’m so glad they were able to match [Alexandria’s] effort.”
