This past week, the Lady Indians collected a couple more conference wins on the court, including a heated rematch against Milford that went into overtime on Tuesday night. Determination and relentless teamwork lifted Indian River to victory, nudging their record to 8-5.

Coastal Point • Jesse Pryor
Lady Indians’ Brandi Buchanan lays up a shot in last Tuesday’s game against Milford. She led the team with 21 points in the overtime show-down, bringing the team’s record to 8-5 this season.

“This game was very important to us,” said a pleased Brandi Buchanan, following the 52-45 win over the Buccaneers this past Tuesday. Buchanan finished the night with an impressive 21 points, including two-three pointers. “We want to go all the way this year, and the win is very helpful. We really worked together as a team.”

She opened the first quarter with nine points, and followed up with five more by halftime. Midway through regulation, the Lady Indians looked to have control, with a 28-16 lead, but Milford fired back in the third quarter, closing the gap to within five. Then, they unexpectedly took the lead with just under two minutes remaining.

“We were ready for what they had at the start,” said Indian River head coach John Frye, “but that third quarter really kicked us in the ****. We missed some easy ones and Milford kept coming at us.”

Trailing a point and playing defense with under a minute to go, the Lady Indians were looking for a stroke of fortune to come their way, and it did, when the Bucs were called for backcourt. A foul put a halt in the drive from Indian River’s Marnisha “Poochie” Mitchell, and she went to the line, shooting two with 13 seconds left.

“I knew the advantage was on my side in that situation,” she said. “My teammates and coach were behind me and encouraging me.”

After her first shot bounced in and out of the rim, with fans waiting on their feet in suspense, she drained the second, leveling the score and putting the game into overtime. Once there, the Lady Indians shut out Milford for the final four minutes, defeating the Bucs for the second time this year.

While giving up a 12-point lead at halftime is discouraging, Frye said he couldn’t be more pleased with the effort his girls presented.

“Games like this take great courage and character,” he said. “We’re still coming along, and it’s definitely a work-in-progress, but it’s not for lack of effort. Our team fought back. They put a lot of heart into this game.”

Indian River’s varsity roster, consisting of only eight regulars with a few rotational players, already has fatigue and injuries to overcome each game, but adding on overtime can definitely take its toll on the exhausted team.

“Brandi and Poochie really do a nice job as our captains,” said Frye. “They’re out there getting banged up, but they’re being leaders. They put everything on the line and fight through the pain.”

Buchanan, who entered this season nursing a prior knee injury, took some hits on Tuesday, but by the time regulation ended, she cast the physical pains aside.

The intensity gets higher in overtime,” she said. “You get pumped up and you have more energy. That’s when we knew what we had to do to win.”

“I wasn’t worried about their conditioning by the time we reached overtime,” admitted Frye. “All of the girls are well-conditioned. They get the training with each game. That’s one of the benefits of a small squad. They really went after it.”

Senior center Miranda Hooper made her presence known with 12 points, capitalizing on her height.

“It’s great to have athletes like Miranda and Ramsey Ruether,” Frye added. “They got the rebounds all night, both on offense and defense, and those stats often get overlooked. They’re a powerful asset to the team.”

Freshman guard Destiny Blake gave the Lady Indians 11 points on Tuesday, via two three-pointers, while Mitchell finished the evening with eight points of her own. Ruether also added a crucial basket late in the game.

The Lady Indians now sit at 6-3, bested in the Henlopen South only by an undefeated Laurel team. Indian River will have some time to look over their team structure with a break until next week’s game, hosting Polytech on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. They will follow up that game on Thursday, Jan. 22, hosting Henlopen North powerhouse Cape Henlopen at 7:15 p.m.