Mount Pulaski opens regionals with 80-74 double overtime win over Henry-Senachwine
Alyson Murphy scores 43 points

 

[February 18, 2025]  It took double overtime but Mount Pulaski defeated the Henry-Senachwine Mallards 80-74 on Monday night in the Roanoke-Benson Class 1A Regional.

Like Mount Pulaski coach Ryan McVickers said following the win, “There are no easy games in the postseason. Survive and advance. Luckily the girls kept fighting and never gave up.”

Lucky for McVickers he has a group of girls who refuse to give up and while he’s been fortunate enough to have several players hit double-digits this season, the leader of the group has consistently been junior Alyson Murphy.

Murphy poured in a career-high 43 points on Monday night. She had four 3s, six 2s and she was 19-for-22 from the free throw line.

McVickers also emphasized how free throws win games.

Mount Pulaski shot 31-for-37 from the line against the Mallards for an outstanding 84 percent.

McVickers noted, “We don’t leave practice until someone sends us home by making two free throws.”

“I think we were down eight points to start the fourth quarter,” added McVickers. “Then our defense went to another level and we started attacking the basket.”

The game was definitely not the start the Lady Toppers wanted.

Mount Pulaski trailed 12-8 after the first quarter.

With Alyson Murphy pouring in twelve points in the second quarter the Lady Toppers inched closer to the Mallards, trailing just 25-22 at the half.

Mount Pulaski did not have an impressive third quarter, with Addison Brown tossing in the only field goal, a three-pointer, and Murphy and Elayna Marten dropping in some free throws.

The Mallards took a 37-29 lead into the fourth quarter.

A 26-point effort in the fourth quarter, which saw both Murphy and Audrey Cooper score eleven points each, allowed the Lady Toppers to come back and tie the Mallards 55-55 at the end of regulation.

In the first overtime each team scored 15 points, sending the game into double overtime, tied 70-70.

Murphy had six points in the double overtime and Cooper added four points to lead the Lady Toppers to the 80-74 win.

In addition to Murphy’s incredible scoring performance, Audrey Cooper scored 15 points from the fourth quarter on and Addison Brown tossed in 13 points.

A terrific win accomplished without the three-point scoring of Claire Bobell, who suffered a season-ending injury as the regular season was winding down.

Mount Pulaski improved to 20-7 with the win.

The Lady Toppers will play for a regional championship at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday night versus the hosts, Roanoke-Benson, who have a 26-5 record.

Mount Pulaski 80
Murphy 43
Cooper 15
Brown 13
Marten 5
Tyson 4

Henry-Senachwine 74
K. Anderson 21
Harbison 20
Schrock 15
Eckert 9
B. Anderson 5
Robbins 2
Thompson 2

[Teena Lowery]