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McFarland outlasts Parkview girls

MCFARLAND — Kaitlynn Eversoll just wouldn’t allow Orfordville Parkview High School’s girls basketball team to steal a victory Thursday night.

The Vikings (12-2), ranked eighth in the Associated Press Division 3 poll, sank six second-half three-pointer goals, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Eversoll’s night. The sophmore guard had 30 of her 33 points in the second half as McFarland held off Parkview for a 58-55 victory.

It was the first loss in 10 conference games for Parkview, which leads the Rock Valley South. McFarland (10-4) improved to 8-2 in the conference and stayed a half-game behind North Division leader Jefferson (8-1).

After her team trailed most of the night, Ashley Oldenburg drained a three-pointer from the wing with 14 seconds left to pull the Vikings within 56-55. Eversoll then followed with two free throws to end the threat.

“The thing is, she had been struggling,” Parkview coach Tina Aasen said of Eversoll. “She’s a good player, but we let her go a few too many times. We were trying to double-team her, but she still got to the basket.”

Right after Parkview took its first lead at 27-24 on another Oldenburg three-pointer with 6:11 left in the third quarter, Eversoll made consecutive back-door cuts for lay-ups. The baskets started her scoring blitz and kept McFarland in front the rest of the way.

“We ran a pick-and-roll for Kaitlynn, and she attacked the rim,” said Mike Eversoll, the McFarland coach and Kaitlynn’s father. “She had been hanging out by the three-point line in the last few games, but tonight we needed her to go attack the basket.”

Eversoll made nine of her 13 second-half shots and all 10 of her free throws to derail the Vikings’ rally.

After the Vikings trailed 50-44 with three minutes left, Jasmine Koch came off the bench and hit a three-pointer from the top of the key to keep Parkview close. Eversoll countered with two free throws, and Melissa Harnack buried another three-pointer from the wing to pull Parkview within 52-50 with 55 seconds left.

Eversoll added four more free throws, before April Wellnitz’s turn-around jumper for Parkview and Oldenburg’s three-pointer with 14 seconds left made it 56-55.

Parkview had one more opportunity after Eversoll made her two free throws with 11 seconds left, but Sabrina Suiter’s three-point attempt and Wellnitz’s rebound putback misfired, before Katie Potts secured the final rebound for the Spartans.

“Some kids really stepped up for us, but we just ran out of time,” Aasen said. “Rebounding and turnovers killed us. But we haven’t been in that position of coming from behind too often, and we fought right to the end.”

Parkview finished with 14 turnovers and made only seven of 28 shots in the first half to get behind. Stephanie Aasen made 12 of 16 free throws and led the Vikings with 16 points before fouling out.

“Hopefully, we can learn from what went wrong,” Aasen said.

McFARLAND 58, PARKVIEW 55

Parkview (55)—Harnack, 2-1-6; Neal, 2-0-4; Suiter, 2-2-8; Larsen, 3-0-6; Aasen, 2-12-16; Koch, 1-0-3; Oldenburg, 3-0-8; Wellnitz, 2-0-4. Totals: 17-15-55.

McFarland (58)—Eversoll, 9-13-33; Stocks, 2-0-4; Culver, 1-0-3; Potts, 1-1-3; Steinhofer, 1-0-3; Thorson, 1-0-2; Walker, 3-2-8; Jermier, 1-0-2. Totals: 19-16-58.

Orfordville Parkview 6 13 14 22—55

McFarland 12 10 16 20—58

Three-point goals—Parkview 6 (Suiter 2, Oldenburg 2, Harnack, Koch), McFarland 4 (Eversoll 2, Culver, Steinhofer). Free throws missed—Parkview 7, McFarland 9. Total fouls—Parkview 19, McFarland 18. Fouled out—Aasen, Larsen.