Anderson's late 3-pointer lifts GW girls over LCA

Lerisa Anderson’s 3-pointer in the final seconds helped George Washington come from behind to defeat Liberty Christian Academy 37-35 on Thursday night.

GW (11-7) trailed 35-34 with less than 30 seconds to play, and after missing a jumper in the lane, the Eagles got the ball back via the possession arrow after a tie up on the rebound with 12.4 seconds remaining. LCA (10-7) took a timeout that allowed GW coach Wayne Shelton to set up the game-winning play in the huddle.

“We drew that up on the side and tried to get a triangle. We had Dominique (Compton) up top, Lerisa in the corner and we were trying to get the ball to Antwanique (Crews) inside. Once they dropped back and guarded her, she had three options — shoot, pass to the corner or kick it back up top.”

Crews passed the ball out to Anderson in the corner, and the junior drained the open shot to put the Eagles ahead by two with about six seconds to play.

“I shot it and I closed my eyes,” Anderson said. “I felt it.”

Yet, when Anderson opened her eyes as the crowd ignited, she saw several LCA players running back down the court with the ball.

“I saw (Edina Musa) coming down the court and I thought, ‘We’re still playing, there must be some seconds still on the clock,’” she recalled.

Luckily for GW, the Eagles had thought about that scenario. When they were still in the huddle drawing up what was game-winning play, Shelton made sure that one of his players — Whitney White — stayed at the top of the circle during GW’s possession and had her drop back on defense.

White helped make the stop at the other end as the Bulldogs missed a shot at the buzzer.

“Tonight, we played with our hearts and I felt tonight was our night,” Anderson said.

The win snapped a four-game skid for GW — the longest such losing streak in Shelton’s 17-year tenure as head coach.

GW trailed for most of the contest. The Eagles held a brief 8-7 lead in the first quarter, but LCA pieced together a 10-0 run that spanned into the second quarter. The Bulldogs used their size to their advantage throughout the first half, exploiting the Eagles’ lack of height for easy layups en route to a 21-16 halftime lead.

GW’s full-court press seemed to baffle the winded Bulldogs at the start of the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the Eagles took advantage on the offensive end. Compton drained a 3-pointer to pull GW within one and Tiana Robertson’s jumper seconds later put the Eagles ahead 29-28.

Yet, there was still some bite left in the Bulldogs. After getting back within one, Courtney Powell nailed a 3-pointer to put LCA back in front 33-31. Raven Jefferson’s runner on their next possession boosted the Bulldogs’ lead back to four.

That’s when Anderson began to step up. The Eagles’ guard hit a 3 with 1:57 remaining to close the gap to one once again.With 30.9 seconds left, the Bulldogs missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the ball back to GW for the chance to win the game.

Both teams had opportunities to put the game out of reach. GW shot a meager 4-for-15 from the foul line, while LCA missed numerous pointblank layups in the second half that would have extended the Bulldogs’ lead.

“We’ve gone through a tough spurt, but our kids have never dropped their heads,” Shelton said. “They’ve continued to play hard.”

And the Eagles’ latest win certainly gives the team a mental boost heading into the rest of district play. GW will host Franklin County next Tuesday in a crucial Western Valley District matchup.

“It helps a lot because we still have a lot of district games left,” Anderson said. “It boosts out confidence and reminds us that we can beat anybody if we put our minds to it.”

George Washington 37, LCA 35
LCA (10-7)
Powell 5, Thompson 5, Tomlin 2, Jefferson 6, Womack 8, Musa 4, Penick 5. Totals 16 1-5 37.
GEORGE WASHINGTON (11-7)
Wilson 2, Hagwood 2, Anderson 8, Compton 5, Jones 4, Anderson 8, Robertson 8. Totals 15 4-15 37.
LCA 11 10 7 7 — 35
George Washington 8 8 8 13 — 37
3-point goals: Powell, Thompson, Anderson (2), Compton.