Mackenzie Blazek cracked a pair of individual milestones Tuesday night, surpassing 1,500 points and 300 blocked shots for her career.
It was another benchmark, however, that really made the Whiteland senior happy.
Blazek totaled 25 points, including the last six of the game, and added 16 rebounds and six blocks as the Warriors outlasted visiting Columbus North in overtime, 62-56. The victory was the 18th of the season for the Warriors, matching the school record set in 2011.
“That felt so good,” Blazek said. “That was the first time in (seven) years that we’ve beaten them, so it was just kind of like, ‘Hey, we’ve got to get this game.’”
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An Annie Anderson putback with 3:18 left in the extra frame gave Columbus North (16-6) its final lead of the night at 56-54, but two Toni Joyner foul shots knotted the score on the Warriors’ next possession and Blazek got the decisive points when she converted a three-point play with 2:23 to go.
North was unable to score the rest of the way, and Blazek (25 points, 16 rebounds, six blocked shots) put the game on ice with three free throws in the final seconds.
Whiteland coach Kyle Shipp said that his team had plenty of confidence going into overtime after pulling out several close games earlier this season.
“The motto in the huddle was just, ‘Four more minutes,’” he said. “Four more minutes of, we know what we need to do; let’s take care of business. Let’s get stops and scores.”
Down by eight after Blazek opened the second period with a pair of free throws, the Bull Dogs outscored the Warriors 12-2 over the next 5:35, taking their first lead on a Nadia Lomax layup with 1:41 in the half. Whiteland regained the upper hand almost immediately on consecutive 3s by Megan Harlow and Taylor Klenner, however, and went into the intermission with a 30-27 edge.
Columbus North tied the game three times in the third quarter and then took a 43-41 lead on two Tessa Lomax free throws 10 seconds into the fourth. Whiteland responded with six straight points, including back-to-back buckets by Blazek that made it 49-45 at the 4:40 mark, but the visitors again clawed their way back, drawing even at 50-50 on a Tessa Lomax putback with 1:47 to go.
Harlow, who finished with 11 points, knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer at the other end 14 seconds later and the Warriors forced a turnover with 26.4 seconds left, but after Harlow made a free throw to put Whiteland up 54-51, Kelsey Patberg connected on a corner 3 with 14.3 seconds remaining to force the eighth deadlock of the night.
A Harlow jumper at the fourth-quarter horn rimmed out.
Jenna Borger and Tessa Lomax each scored 13 points to pace the Bull Dogs, while Nadia Lomax added 10 off the bench.
Whiteland will be out to break that wins record on Friday at home against Mooresville. Perhaps more importantly, a victory in that game would give the Warriors an outright Mid-State Conference championship.
“We obviously don’t want to share the title,” Blazek said. “We want to hang one of those (banners) up. We haven’t lost a senior night for my seniors since I’ve been here, and I certainly don’t want to lose mine.”
