SIDNEY — One point short of reaching 1,000 for her career, Allie Stockton had several near misses in an about six-minute stretch in the second half.
It wasn’t just Stockton. Neither Troy nor Sidney could get a basket to fall, resulting in a crucial Miami Valley League contest staying tied.
“It was stressful,” Stockton, a junior guard, said.
But Stockton finally surpassed the 1,000-point milestone with 4:13 left in the fourth quarter. She scored shortly after a jumper by Jordan Scully broke the scoreless streak, and the two baskets started a 16-7 run over the last five minutes that gave Sidney a 50-41 victory over the Trojans on Wednesday.
With the win, Sidney (14-5, 13-2) is in sole possession of first place in overall MVL standings. Troy (15-3, 12-3) is tied for second along with Vandalia-Butler (12-7, 12-3).
Wednesday’s victory avenged a 46-45 loss at Troy on Dec. 18 in which Sidney saw a 12-point lead evaporate over the final two minutes.
“It felt so nice to finally get that win that we needed on them,” Stockton said. “We dropped that first one, and it hurt.”
After several close misses late in the third and early in the fourth, Stockton surpassed 1,000 career points midway through the fourth.
Kiara Hudgins missed a jumper, and Stockton grabbed the rebound and put up a shot, which she missed. Larkyn Vordemark grabbed the rebound under the basket and threw a pass to Stockton, who was a few feet away.
The pass bounced off Stockton, who scrambled for the ball. She grabbed it off the ground about five feet in front of the basket, stood up and put up an arching shot that went in nothing-but-net.
Play was stopped after the shot, and Stockton was presented with the game ball by Sidney coach Jamal Foster.
Stockton’s basket gave Sidney a 38-34 lead. It helped add further momentum for Sidney, which went from not being able to make a basket to not being able to miss one.
Scully, a freshman guard, hit another long jumper from just inside the arc, then hit a 3 from the left wing to cap off a 9-0 run to start the fourth and put Sidney ahead 43-34.
“Coach called a timeout (early in the fourth quarter) and said that unselfish basketball had got us our first lead, so we needed to give it up and pass and play D, and we came out and we did that,” Stockton said.
Stockton became the eighth player in program history to surpass 1,000 career points and is just the second junior to reach the mark. She has 1,002 career points after her 15-point performance on Wednesday.
“It’s special because of the type of person she is,” Foster said. “She’s put a lot of hours in, and a lot of unseen hours, a lot of work on her own, to get to this point. It’s very few who get to 1,000 and even fewer that get to it as a junior.
“Her story is still being written. What she has meant the last couple of years, and the epitome of what she brings on the court and in the locker room, is indescribable. She’s a special talent, and I’m just happy to be a part of her journey.”
Stockton said she’s most proud the squad is in a position to win the overall MVL title despite losing two starters over the course of the season. Junior guard Lexee Brewer suffered a season-ending knee injury in December, and junior forward and Jackson Center transfer Regan Clark was limited to playing the first 11 games due to OHSAA rules.
Sidney’s five starters have played the majority of every game since losing Clark, and usually only one or two players off the bench see any significant time.
“I think we’ve proved ourselves,” Stockton said. “We lost Lex and we lost Regan, but that did not stop our drive and the work ethic we have at practice. The younger girls stepped up at practice, and I’m really happy with this season.”
Scully led Sidney with 20 points while Vordemark finished with 18.
Troy senior guard Macie Taylor, a Wright State signee who surpassed 1,000 career points last year, finished with 10 points, eight below her average this season. She fouled out in the fourth quarter.
“She’s a special player,” Foster said. “She can get to the hole, she can make plays, she can get out there and create turnovers. We talked about her all week and game-planned around it, and the things that (Kiara Hudgins) and Kelis (McNeal) were able to do on her is what I feel like won the game.”
Troy freshman guard Amyannah Tucker added 10 points.
Tucker is one of three starters 5-10 or taller for Troy, while McNeal, a freshman, is Sidney’s only player over 5-9.
Despite the height differential, Sidney was able to fight in the post throughout the game. Troy had early success driving inside in the first quarter and built a 17-12 lead but struggled to do that the rest of the game.
“They showed toughness. They battled,” Foster said. “… It didn’t start the way we wanted it to tonight, but they never quit. The resiliency of those five or six girls that got minutes today, they just didn’t want to lose. It showed.
“… How can you help the team win besides scoring is one of the things we talked about in the locker room. Rebounding, diving on 50-50 balls, taking a charge, making the extra pass, all that stuff made the difference.
“Kelis McNeal does a lot of the dirty work for a long time that doesn’t get recognized. Her going down low and giving up that size advantage every game but not quitting is awesome. She’s not the same person she was at the beginning of the season.”
Sidney has three MVL games left, starting with a home contest against West Carrollton (12-4, 9-4) on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets escaped West Carrollton with a 55-54 win on Dec. 22.
“We’ve got to come in focused at practice these next couple of days,” Stockton said.
