Step III: a one-point loss that stung hard, like a kick in the stomach (VIDEOS*)

This one hurts. It was a devastating loss for everyone involved, especially the players. It has to be a loss that you get better from.

Here's a glimpse of how big of a struggle the opening stage of the game was tonight. The first half was rough for the entire 18-minute period.

**This video clip starts with 8:07 on the clock in the first half and the Tigers holding an 18-10 lead:


That was a great look at the basket that just didn't fall. If that shot drops, the Jaguars are down 18-13. Instead, they fell behind 21-10 over the next two minutes.

Each team came out with stiff defensive pressure after the opening tip-off. Multiple shots were put up in the first two minutes, but nothing fell. Sophomore guard Mya Stacey canned a three-pointer with 15:55 left to make it a 4-0 Tigers lead for the game's first field goal. With 15:32 left, Nevis got two free throws for a 6-0 lead, with half of those points coming at the line. With B-B-E continuing to miss field goals, the Tigers built on their early lead with senior forward Ava Isaacson made a rebound shot in the paint with 14:55 left for an 8-0 lead. After another empty B-B-E possession, the Tigers got a fastbreak shot with 14:20 left to make it a 10-0 lead. Just 10 seconds later, B-B-E had two missed free throws, another sign of trouble.

What perhaps was the play that stopped the bleeding came with 13:50 left as Nevis was on a fastbreak. Isaacson hauled down a defensive rebound, drove towards the half court line and dished down court to Kayli Bessler. Bessler saw a wide-open Marley Mitchell near the baseline and connected a pass with her in the high post. B-B-E sophomore reserve guard Anna Jaeger sped towards the basket just in time to alter Mitchell's course to what should have been an easy layup. Mitchell traveled to turn the ball over, and Coach Anderson called a timeout. Each team missed on their next possessions, but the Jaguars finally broke through with 12:22 left when Abby Berge canned a left wing three-pointer to make the score 10-3.

With 11:10 left, Berge hit another three-pointer to make it a 12-6 game, and it finally felt like the Jaguars were in business. Nevis was able to push ahead to a 21-10 lead with 6:02 left. With 5:30 left, Allison Dingmann had a great move along the left baseline and layed in a shot off the glass to make it 21-12. The Jaguars chipped away to trail 23-16 with 1:35 left after Berge made two of four free throw shots in successive order.

Halftime: Nevis 24, B-B-E 16.

Before chipping away at an eight-point halftime deficit, the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team fell behind by 10 points to start the second half. With 15:45 left, a free throw by Tiyana Schwinghammer made the score Nevis 26, B-B-E 21. Abby Berge scored on the right block and on a fastbreak shot leading up to that. With 14:25 left, Berge made a rebound shot to cut the deficit to 28-23. Shelby Anderson scored on a layup with 13:45 left to make the score 28-25, and Berge sliced the Nevis defense with 13:10 left to make it a one-point game: Nevis 28, B-B-E 27.

In this video clip, the Jaguars cut the deficit to one point with just over 13 minutes left in the game:


**Here's a video clip recorded in the final two minutes of the game tonight in Wadena:


In that video clip, Abby Berge makes an off-balance shot in heavy traffic with 1:34 left to cut into what was a 47-43 Nevis lead.

**Here's a video also from that final stage of the game:


Harley Roering's two free throws with 1:15 left in the game tied it at 47-47. The game remained tied up until the final second of the game. With 0.1 seconds on the clock, sophomore guard Marley Mitchell made one of two double bonus free throws to give the Tigers the lead and the win.

Final score: Nevis 48, B-B-E 47. The Jaguars made just two of 16 three-point attempts, but what also hurt was 57-percent free throw shooting in the game (11-of-19).

B-B-E's marvelous season ends with a final record of 18-10. They finished in second place in both the Central Minnesota Conference and Sub-Section 5A-West. The upside: the Jaguars graduate just two seniors, although they will be dearly missed (Kailey Fischer and Shelby Anderson).

Nevis takes an 18-8 record into the Section 5A championship game, which will be at Little Falls high school this Friday at 7 p.m.

In the Sub-Section 5A-East championship game at Hinckley-Finlayson high school, top-seeded Braham advanced with a 43-40 win over Ogilvie.

Game video is uploading. The 77-mile drive back home from Wadena has shifted me off of schedule. It's been a wild ride going back to last Wednesday's wrestling pep fest...non-stop go, go, go, go and go some more.

Area girls' basketball playoff scores on March 9:
Mountain Iron-Buhl 90, Chisolm 28
Albany 52, Kimball Area 37
Pierz 48, Esko 42
Underwood 55, New York Mills 36
Fergus Falls 65, Crookston 50
Hancock 50, Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 43
Sauk Centre 64, Holdingford 46