Lady Toppers win the 2021 Turkey Tussle Tournament

[November 22, 2021] - Alexis Wade named tournament MVP

Mount Pulaski won a thriller over Porta on Saturday night as Alexis Wade hit the game-winner with just seconds remaining to give the Lady Toppers a 43-41 win over the Lady Jays. This was the first time in tournament history that Mount Pulaski has won the Turkey Tussle Tournament, which has been hosted by Clinton High School for eight years running.

After Porta took a 2-0 lead early in the game, the Lady Toppers got a free throw from Riley May and two baskets off layups from Hailee Daigh to take a 5-2 first quarter lead.

Mount Pulaski stretched their lead to 9-2 in the second quarter after Grace Davis swished a basket from the corner and then hit another field goal from the outside, all within the first minute of second quarter action. Porta’s Zoe Danner answered with five quick points and the Lady Jays trailed 9-7. At the five minute mark Daigh connected for a three, nothing but net, and it was 12-7 Mount Pulaski. A little over a minute later, Davis made a basket on the assist from Alexis Wade, and the Lady Toppers had doubled up the Lady Jays, 14-7 the score. Mount Pulaski continued to move the ball smoothly around the Porta defense and a minute later it was Daigh with the bank shot on the assist from May. Mount Pulaski was looking good with a 16-7 lead. The Lady Jays would get buckets by Chloe Cox and Karlie Hoke before the half ended and that set the halftime score at 16-11.

Wade would get in the scoring column as the third quarter got underway and her basket would give Mount Pulaski an 18-11 lead. The Lady Jays were not about to give up though. Mid-way through the quarter they crawled back to trail just 20-19. After a miss by Mount Pulaski, the Lady Jays’ Carson Arthalony put Porta on top 21-20 with her basket. A layup by Wade would flip the lead back in Mount Pulaski’s favor. It was a basket by Cox that put the Lady Jays back in front, 23-22 the score. Porta would carry a 30-28 lead into the closing seconds of the third quarter. But at the third quarter buzzer, it would be Wade sinking another layup to allow Mount Pulaski a 30-30 tie with just eight minutes of basketball left to play.

Davis would light a spark under the Lady Toppers in the fourth quarter. Her corner three, on the assist from Daigh, was spectacular and even better was the opportunity at a four-point play. After the foul and picking herself up off the floor, Davis marched to the free throw line and sank the “and one” for Mount Pulaski. That was a really nice play that resulted in a 34-30 lead for the Lady Toppers. Seconds later Davis hit a two-pointer and Mount Pulaski was on top 36-30. The Lady Jays made it a ballgame as Jayce Privia sank a couple baskets and the lead dwindled to 36-35. Near the 4:00 mark it was Wade with the ball fake and a swish of the net to extend the lead to 38-35. Cox was making her own moves for Porta in the lane and she hit a bucket in their next possession to cut the lead to 38-37. Wade made good on another drive through the lane next and she got the foul included. Wade might have been held scoreless in the first half, but once she got going in the second half, there was no stopping her. Wade made the “and one” here and Mount Pulaski was in the driver’s seat with a 41-37 lead with just under four minutes to play. Over the next two minutes of play a lot of things happened, but scoring was not one of them. The Lady Toppers burned some time off the clock, and then there’s always turnovers and missed shots in the mix that drive coaches crazy and make the fans frazzled.

2021 Turkey Tussle Tournament Champions

Front Row:  Hailee Daigh, Grace Davis, Riley May, Je’Na Rentmeister and Alexis Wade

Back Row:  Coach Ryan McVickers, Clarrisa Turner, Xzandria Turner, Kamri Charron, Mackenzie Chandler, Ella Bobell and Assistant Coach Isabella Wade. 

Porta’s Arthalony finally sank a couple free throws with 1:08 left to play and the game was a bit closer with the score now 41-39. Following a Mount Pulaski miss at the free throw line, Privia would dribble down the court for the Lady Jays and lay in a shot off the glass to tie the game at 41-41 with around :40 seconds left to play. After both teams missed opportunities at the free throw line, Mount Pulaski’s May pulled down a rebound with 13.2 seconds left and quickly found Wade for the outlet pass. Wade dribbled down the right side of the court and managed to toss the ball up and over the defenders and sink a running six-footer that just kissed the glass and sank the hearts of the Lady Jays. Porta had about two seconds to get the ball in bounds and they just were just too shook up to get a shot off.

Mount Pulaski wins in thrilling fashion by a final score of 43-41.

Grace Davis led Mount Pulaski with 16 points. Alexis Wade added 15 points. Hailee Daigh tossed in 11 points. Riley May hit one free throw to round out the Lady Toppers scoring.

Wade was named the tournament MVP voted on by the coaches. She averaged 20.3 points per game for the tournament.

After the game, the ever-energetic head coach of Mount Pulaski, Ryan McVickers, was grinning from ear to ear as he congratulated his team.

“We came out with a ton of energy,” said McVickers, “and that’s what we really stress, just energy, energy, energy from the start. We kind of deviated away from that in the third quarter and Porta got a little high/low game going. I mean, they were trees out there. They had three girls that were 6’ 0 tall and I think our biggest girl is 5’8. We had to pressure them otherwise they were going to get that ball inside. I told our girls all we had to do was touch a pass and we're quick enough to get those loose balls.”

The game plan worked and Mount Pulaski brought home the first ever Turkey Tussle Championship plaque.

Congratulations, Lady Toppers!

Scoring

Mount Pulaski 43

Davis 16
Wade 15
Daigh 11
May 1

Porta 41

Privia 17
Arthalony 6
Cox 6
Danner 5
Marr 3
Bell 2
Hoke 2

[Teena Lowery]