Josie Larson, Plano beat Marengo in Kishwaukee River Conference OT thriller for 13th straight win

PLANO – Josie Larson’s biggest game in a Plano uniform could not have started in more inauspicious fashion.

On the first play Wednesday, Plano’s all-time leading scorer landed on her ankle wrong, twisting it. She hobbled off the court seconds into the matchup with Marengo.

“I was so mad when that happened,” Larson said. “It hurt so bad, I thought I was done. But I just needed a minute.”

Larson, a senior guard, returned a minute later, but seemed to favor the ankle on occasion. A couple times, she bent over and winced. On top of that, nothing came easy for Larson against Marengo’s defense.

But she came up huge when it mattered.

Larson led the Reapers back from a five-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter. In the final minute of overtime, she went coast-to-coast and dished to Chloe Rowe for the go-ahead basket.

Then Larson stole the ball from Marengo’s Gabby Gieseke on the game’s last play, dribbling out Plano’s 42-40 win in a matchup of Kishwaukee River Conference leaders, the Reapers' 13th straight win.

The soft-spoken Larson hates the spotlight and does not like interviews, but Plano coach Tristan Spivey couldn’t speak highly enough of her.

With Larson leading the way, Plano (21-3, 8-1) has gone from 3-28 her freshman year to 21-3 now, in contention for a KRC title in its second year in the league.

“It doesn’t matter what challenge she’ll face in life, she is going to push through it,” Spivey said. “She takes on the challenge. There are no limits to what she can do.”

Larson scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Rowe had 10 points and 18 rebounds for Plano. Gieseke scored 11 points, and Myah Broughton nine for Marengo (12-11, 7-1), the last team to beat Plano back on Dec. 11. Macy Noe had 14 rebounds.

Larson was held to two points and 0-for-8 shooting in that game and had just five points at halftime Wednesday, none in the second quarter. Marengo held Plano scoreless the final 5:20 to lead 19-14 at halftime, and still led 31-26 with 5:27 left in regulation after a Gieseke steal and free throw.

But Plano surged ahead with an 8-0 run, Larson driving and dishing to Rowe for the go-ahead score.

“She’s just a phenomenal player,” Marengo coach Elisa Hanson said of Larson. “She’s learned that if people shut down her scoring she makes great passes to her post players. She’s very unselfish. You can tell she handles the spotlight well.”

So did Hanson’s girls, who were playing with injured 6-foot-2 senior Dayna Carr, out with a dislocated kneecap. Plano, for its part, lost point guard Sanai Young to an injury for all of overtime.

Scoring was hard to come by on either side (combined 26.5% shooting), but Broughton banked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key to tie it 34-34 with 1:51 left in regulation.

Larson and Marengo’s Mia Feidt both made two free throws in the final minute.

Emilie Polizzi, who helped hold Larson to 4-for-12 shooting, made her only field goal of the game, a 3-pointer in the final minute of overtime, to give Marengo its last lead, 40-38.

The Indians were hurt by 5 of 15 free-throw shooting.

“We knew it would be a gutsy, close game. We got worn down a little at the end,” Hanson said. “Whoever made key shots down the stretch, whoever could have the most stamina. It comes down could you make key stops, not turn the ball over, and make free throws.”

Larson did, again, making two for the tie, then rebounded a Marengo miss and went length of the court to assist Rowe’s basket for a 42-40 lead.

“I knew she would give the ball to Chloe to score,” Spivey said. “She’s just so unselfish.”

Rowe struggled to finish shots early against Marengo’s physicality, but scored eight of her 10 in the fourth quarter and overtime.

“They are definitely one of the more physical teams we play. You have to get used to it,” Rowe said. “We had got used to less physical, less contact games. We had to adjust.”

Spivey admitted Hanson’s “had his number,” winning the first three KRC meetings with Plano these last two years. He appreciated the competition of two-time defending league champ Marengo, and the win.

It’s only Marengo’s second KRC loss in the last three years.

“We had this one circled on our schedule since the last time we played them,” Spivey said. “This is the biggest win in my three years. Coach has had my number, and Josie’s, they are really good at switching girls on her. They have shut her down in the three games we’ve played.

“Josie, she doesn’t always say it, [but] she was ready for this game.”