Just when it seemed like the Tolleson Lady Wolverines were going to run away with the game, Sydney Wiese and the Pinnacle Lady Pioneers would refuse to fold.
Tolleson had a 20 point lead heading into the fourth quarter in the second of four games at GCU Arena for the MLK Basketball Classic, but had to withstand a manic rally by Pinnacle to survive 67-63 on Monday afternoon.
Guard Desiree Smith led the Lady Wolverines with 23 points, but missed some critical free throws down the stretch that could’ve proved disastrous for Tolleson.
Wiese had a smoking shot in the final eight minutes, and nearly brought her team back to win singlehandedly. She ended up with 29 points.
Tolleson took a six point lead into halftime, and came out strong in the third quarter with an 11-3 run to get some distance. Their press defense seemed to get under Pinnacle’s skin and took them out of their game, for that quarter at least.
The final eight minutes were totally different, as the Lady Pioneers were aggressive on both ends of the court, and started to hit shots they couldn’t in the third.
They had a 10-1 run to start the fourth, and surely made it an interesting game for the coaches, staff and fans in attendance.
Next up for Pinnacle: a Thursday night affair at Horizon.
For Tolleson, they host Maryvale on Tuesday night.
