OT loss ends Gators season

The shots just didn’t fall as the Decatur girls basketball team ended its season Saturday.

The Gators lost 52-49 to Puyallup in overtime.

“We just didn’t shoot well from the field and from the line,” said Decatur coach Colby Rogers. “It was our poorest freethrow shooting game of the year. We played well, the shots just didn’t fall.”

Decatur made just 13 of 30 shots from the freethrow line.

Puyallup went on a 9-0 run to start the overtime period, but Decatur picked up its defensive intensity and clawed its way back to within 50-49 after Dekeidra Brewer hit a lay-up with four seconds left in the game.

Decatur had a chance to win, but missed two freethrows with 2.6 seconds left. Puyallup hit both its freethrows to make it a 52-49 game. Decatur’s potentially game-tying 3-point attempt bounced off the front of the rim at the buzzer.

“We had a good season,” Rogers said. “One of our goals to start the season was to play some playoff games. We accomplished that goal. We would have liked to have gone further, but we needed to shoot better in that last game.

The Gators led 15-6 after the first quarter, but only managed four points the next eight minutes as Puyallup took a 22-19 lead into halftime.

Sophomore Kamrica Ary-Turner led Decatur with 18 points and seven rebounds. Senior Dekeidra Brewer scored 12 and grabbed seven rebounds. Junior Jennifer Morrow had seven points and six rebounds. Seniors Gayle Imran and Cristina Null scored five points each. Sophomore Christine Kim finished with five assists, two steals and two points.

“I’m sad our seniors had to end on that note,” Rogers said. “We’re going to miss those three kids (Brewer, Null and Imran). They’ve really given a lot this season. It’s always sad to see the seniors go, especially when they’re good kids.”

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