A Wednesday game that came down to the final shot prevented the NEPA Elite Rini 17U girls from reaching their goal of a perfect tournament.
On Thursday, they went out and made sure nobody else in their pool would be perfect.
Megan Desmet hit a 3-pointer with six seconds left in the second overtime as the Rini girls handed York Thunder 2022-A. Fancher their first loss, 46-43, in the 2022 Division Pool C finale at the Select Basketball Events East Coast Summer Showcase at Spooky Nook Sports in Manheim, Lancaster County.
The win made the Rini girls the pool champions on a tiebreaker after both teams wound up 4-1 for the best records in the six-team pool.
Claire Dougherty scored 9 of her team-high 13 points in the second half when NEPA Elite overcame an 18-14 deficit to force a 35-35 tie and overtime. She also finished with five rebounds.
Kallie Booth had 10 points.
Chase Purdy had eight points and eight rebounds.
Mia Blume hit one 3-pointer in the second half and made another in the first overtime.
Purdy also had a basket in the first overtime, which ended in a 40-40 tie.
Desmet, who had also made a 3-pointer during the second-half rally, had the only points by either team in the second overtime.
Dougherty and Purdy are also high school teammates at Lake-Lehman. Desmet is from Wallenpaupack, Booth from Pittston Area and Blume from Dunmore.
Going into the Hoop Group Championship Weekend in Atlantic City Saturday through Monday, the Rini girls have had two 4-1 and five 3-1 tournament finishes for a 17-5 season record.
Butler 15U girls
The NEPA Elite Butler girls also went 4-1 and tied for the best record in their pool when they finished up with a 24-22 victory in a defensive struggle with Comets Perretta.
The Delaware Lady Sharks and Mid-Penn Motion Noreika also finished 4-1 for a three-way tie for first place in the eight-team 2024 Division Pool D.
Mackenzie Schirg led the win with nine points and five rebounds.
Elizabeth Viglone added five points while Lily Soller, who grabbed seven rebounds, and Lily Butler had four points each.
Schirg is from Lackawanna Trail, Viglone from Dallas, Soller from Pocono Mountain East and Butler from Holy Cross.
Scoblick 15U girls
Rebels Academy-Rosanio defeated the Scoblick girls, 47-36, dropping NEPA Elite to 3-2 and a three-way tie for third in the seven-team 2024 Division Pool C.
Finley Bittenbender and Elyse Montgomery shared the team scoring lead in the loss with eight points each. Mackenzie Perluke added six points.
Bittenbender is from Scranton, Montgomery from Honesdale and Perluke from Wyoming Valley West.
Sheehan 16 U
The NEPA Elite Sheehan 16U girls finished 0-5 in the 2023 Division Pool A when they fell to Comets-Lange, 43-17.
