Panthers Give it Their All in the Fourth-Quarter

After it looked like they would cruise to an easy victory, Greenfield coach Rob Graetz and his Hustlin' Hawks girls basketball team survived a fourth-quarter shooting barrage by the visiting Greendale Panthers to earn the team’s first postseason victory in his tenure.

The Hawks held a 14-point lead entering the final quarter but the Panthers refused to give in. The Panthers hit five 3-pointers in the frame and had the ball for a last-shot opportunity down just a single point.

The Panthers, however, could not get a final shot off and turned the ball over as the clock expired for a 42-41 Greenfield win.

Greenfield seemed to have everything going its way from the opening tip. After allowing the Panthers to score the first point of the game, the Hawks held them scoreless for the remainder of the quarter and ran off 10 consecutive points.

Greendale tried to get back in the game in the second frame scoring the first four points, but yet again Greenfield had an answer. This time they reeled off nine consecutive points to extend the lead to 14.

Greendale was able to cut the lead down to 10 points by halftime, but Greenfield still seemed in control. Katie Narloch, a senior guard, led Greenfield in the first half with seven points.

Every time Greenfield tried to extend the lead in the second half, Greendale would cut the lead back to 10 or 11 until the last possession of the quarter when junior Amber Polachek heaved a shot with time running out. It banked in off the backboard and put the Hawks up, 34-20, entering the fourth.

The Panthers played inspired basketball in the fourth quarter led seniors Brooke Robinette and Alyssa Brunelli.

The pair combined for 14 of Greendale’s 21 fourth-quarter points. Brunelli hit a trio of 3-pointers to get the game within two points and then Robinette hit a three with just 10 seconds left to cut Greenfield’s lead to one.

After Greenfield missed the front end of a bonus situation, the Panthers had one final attempt with six seconds remaining. The girls advanced the ball down the court and had a numbers advantage, but could not get off a shot and the ball was thrown out of bounds as time expired.

Greendale head coach Andy Schroeder was proud of the way his team battled back.

“I kept telling them, ‘Girls you just gotta give yourself a chance,'" Schroeder said. "You have to put yourself in position by working hard defensively and rebounding and you will give yourself a chance to win this game.’”

Junior Jill Dworschack provided a huge lift for Greenfield in the fourth quarter. She scored six of her teams' eight points in the quarter including a pair of clutch free throws with under a minute remaining.

“Playing in tight games is always a learning experience. We have a number of young starters and they did a nice job,” said Greenfield coach Rob Graetz.

Greenfield improved to 9-14 and will play top-seeded Cudahy on the road at 7 p.m. Friday. Greendale finished with a 3-20 record.