Mustangs earn tournament win by edging Lady Raiders with big second half comeback

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 3 December 2022 at 7:19 pm

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Rylee VanNostrand (3) poured in a game high 31 points to lead Medina to a come-from-behind win over Barker in the consolation game of the Kendall Tournament this afternoon.

Rebounding from an 18 point halftime deficit, Medina rallied to edge Barker 42-38 in the consolation game of the Kendall Tournament this afternoon.

Rylee VanNostrand scored 23 of her game high 31 points in the second half to spearhead Medina’s big comeback.

Trailing 29-11 at the half, Medina got back into the game as VanNostrand scored 10 in the third quarter, including a pair of threes, to help pull the Mustangs to within 12, 34-22, at the three-quarter mark.

Keeping the momentum, Medina opened the decisive fourth quarter with an 8-0 run on three baskets by VanNostrand and one by Stella Poler to pull to within four at 34-30. Two more baskets by VanNostrand then sliced the deficit to just one at 36-35 with two minutes to go.

Barker’s Rachel Sutter and VanNostrand then traded baskets to keep the Lady Raiders up by one 38-37 with 1:13 remaining,

The Mustangs finally took the lead at 39-38 as Tatyana Baity scored what proved to be the game winning basket.

The Mustangs then put a lock on the huge comeback win on a basket by Poler and a free throw by Honesty Hill.

Poler finished with 5 points, Hill 2, Baity 2 and Dani Williams 1.

Kiera Dalton led Barker with 12 points as Mia Herman and Anna Bowerman both had 6, Sutter 4, Addison Szafranski and Cole Carnes 3 and Lillia Peace and Brooklyn Bottoroff 2.

Bowerman hit two threes and Carnes one and Dalton added a pair of baskets in the first quarter to help spark Barker out to a 17-3 lead.

Barker maintained a big 18 point advantage at the half but the Mustangs rallied to outscore the Lady Raiders 31-9 in the second half to claim the win.

Barker’s Anna Bowerman goes in for a layup as Tatyana Baity attempts to block for Medina.

Medina’s Elaina Bitsas goes for a rebound against Barker’s Kiera Dalton.