Moline Over Bettendorf in OT

Moline wins in QC Shootout. From Argus....

By Marc Nesseler, nesseler@qconline.com

The Moline Maroons avoided not only one jinx but two against Bettedorf in game 5 of the Dearrel Bates Mississippi River Shootout on Saturday. As United Township coach Justin Shiltz walked by the press table at Black Hawk College, with his Panthers ready to play the next game, he muttered "Just don't let there be overtime." Not only was there one OT, but there were two, with the Maroons prevailing 56-55 in the longest girls' shootout game in the event's eight-year history. And, the Maroons were not only jinxed by one coach, but by two. With 5.7 seconds left and up by one in the second OT, the Maroons missed two free throws, giving the Bulldogs a last-gasp shot at the win. Liz Finn took the rebound coast to coast, but could not convert. The Maroons were 18-of-28 from the line. "I think I jinxed the team there," Moline coach Steve Ford said. "I told the girls we had been shooting about 70 percent from the line as a team. We worked on some rhythm there in the morning. But you really need those free throws." The Maroons got just enough of them. Jordan de los Reyes split a pair with 38.8 seconds left in double OT which provided the winning margin. The Bulldogs' Katie Moore made a basket with :24.3 to make it 56-55. Tops offensively for the 13-8 Maroons was de los Reyes with 22 points. Sanela Causevic added 12 points off the bench, all on 3-pointers, as the Maroons put up as many 3s (23) and they did two-point field-goal tries. With Moline in the double bonus in OT and the Bulldogs not, Ford thought that benefitted the Maroons. "I thought it was good just to be in that position, especially after the start that we had. It didn't look good for us in the beginning," said Ford, whose team trailed 20-10 early in the second quarter. It was the third overtime game in the shootout's history. Ironically, the other two involved Shiltz's team, United Township, and the Bulldogs. UT lost to Bettendorf in overtime games in 2010 and 2007.