WELLINGTON, OHIO — Elyria Catholic senior forward
Sara Schneider was in the right place at the right time and she cashed in on her opportunity Saturday afternoon.
In the waning seconds of overtime, Schneider controlled an offensive rebound and got the put-back to fall, sealing a 61-59 win over the top-seeded Loudonville Redbirds in the Division III girls basketball tournament at Wellington High School.
"I don’t even have words to describe what I was feeling," Schneider said amidst a crowd of supporters who joined the Elyria Catholic players on the court after the game. "All I knew was I have to put this in the basket. I just have to. I don’t know what I would’ve done with myself if I missed a shot like that. I work on those shots every day and it actually came in handy.
"I just knew that I had to play the game as hard as I could," added Schneider. "This could either be the last game that I ever played or I could continue playing, and I told Ashley (Shuster), ‘We need to give it everything that we have.’ Ashley and I together are just amazing. We balance each other out."
Schneider’s offensive rebound came after Shuster, a junior forward, missed a turnaround jump shot over three Loudonville defenders.
"I was thinking the win," Shuster said. "I just knew she would make it. I was just ready to celebrate. It was really good having her back there. You kind of sense it, almost like I knew she’d be back there. She was and she got it and made it, so I was very happy."
"I wasn’t really stressed," Elyria Catholic coach Eric Rothgery said. "I was stressed a number of times during the game, but we got the ball underneath the basket with seven seconds left. It’d be pretty hard to lose from that point; we’d at least go to another overtime.
"She kind of is a pretty good offensive player," Rothgery added of Schneider. "She’s had a couple of down games in the tournament when everyone’s out here, but she’s a good offensive player. She’s got a nice shot. Schneider’s stepping up at the right time, had a good start to the season and is picking it up in the tournament."
In honor of her late-game heroics, which gave the Panthers a trip to the regional tournament, Schneider’s teammates allowed her to be the first to climb the ladder and cut down the net.
"Last year, I had to watch Regina cut down the net," Schneider said. "To actually be the first one to cut the net, it’s just an amazing feeling. I never dreamed of cutting down the net."
Schneider soaked in the atmosphere and enjoyed the win. What made the victory even sweeter for her and the rest of Elyria Catholic’s senior class was the fact that they overcame a 12-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter.
"It was a little stressful because we were down by 12 and really didn’t know how to get back and get everybody back in the game," Schneider said. "I told everybody, ‘You guys need to just keep cheering your hearts out. You need to support us just as much as the parents are. This is our game. We’re not losing, just plain and simple. We’re not losing this game. I am not letting it happen.’"
Matt Florjancic currently works as a freelance reporter and sports show host for WOBL and WDLW.
