Blue Earth Area guard Lola Lundquist brings the ball up the court during the first half of the Bucs’ Section 2AA playoff game against the Maple River Eagles on Feb. 23.

The No. 12 seeded Blue Earth Area Buccaneers traveled to Mapleton on Feb. 23 and nearly upset the No. 5 seeded Maple River Eagles in the Section 2AA Girls Basketball Tournament. The score was tied 57-57 at the end of regulation play. Maple River outscored BEA 14-6 in overtime to win the game 71-63.

The difference in the game was at the free-throw line where the Eagles attempted 38 shots from the charity stripe. Maple River made 28 of those shots. Meanwhile, BEA attempted a total of six free throws and made five.

In the second half alone the Eagles went to the free-throw line 20 times while the Bucs had three free-throw shots. In the four-minute overtime period, 12 of Maple River’s 14 points were the result of free throws.

Needless to say, BEA fans were unhappy with the officiating during the game. Their frustration reached a crescendo at the end of regulation time when it appeared BEA’s Myla Eastman was fouled while releasing a shot under the basket with one second left on the clock. As the clock hit zero the ball rolled around the rim and did not go in and the Eastman ended up on the floor and no foul was called. As the teams headed back to their respective benches, Eastman, whether out of frustration at missing the shot or because a foul was not called, slapped the floor and was called for a technical foul.

According to the National Federation of High School Basketball Rules (which the Minnesota State High School uses): If a technical foul occurs after the ball becomes dead to end a quarter or extra period, the next quarter of extra period is started by administering the free throws. If the fourth quarter or extra period ends and the score is tied, the free throws will start the extra period. If the score is not tied and the results of the free throws would tie or win the game, then the free throws are administered as part of the preceding quarter/period.

In other words, since time had run out and the score was tied, the technical foul shots should have started the overtime period.

However, the officials incorrectly had Maple River shoot two technical fouls shots as part of regulation play. Had the Eagles’ player made either of the shots, her team would have won the game at that point.

In the end, the Eagles missed the free throws from the technical fouls so the game did proceed into the four-minute overtime period.

The first half of the game was pretty even through the first 12 minutes. The Eagles’ Dani Hanson sank a 3-pointer from in front of the BEA bench for her only points of the game to give Maple River a 17-13 lead with six minutes remaining until intermission.

A pick-and-roll play led to Emersen Weir passing to Myla Eastman for an easy basket that ignited a 12-0 Bucs’ run. A trey by Lola Lundquist put the Maroon and Gold in front 18-17 and a drive by Weir resulted in a basket that gave BEA a 20-17 lead.

Madeline Humburg scored off an assist by Lundquist and was fouled in the process. Humburg successfully completed the traditional 3-point play to give the Bucs a 23-17 lead.

With 2:55 left to play in the first half, Lundquist scored on a drive that increased BEA’s advantage to 25-17.

Unfortunately for the Bucs, a Maple River player, while trying to block the shot, scratched Lundquist’s eye and the senior guard was done for the night. Ironically, no foul was called on the play.

The first half ended with BEA leading by seven points at 28-21.

The Bucs maintained their lead until just under four minutes were left to play in the game.

Four consecutive free throws by Maple River’s Bria Cole gave the host team a 49-48 lead with 3:43 remaining in regulation.

A basket by Eastman momentarily restored the lead to BEA, but a drive by the Eagles’ Claire Caven had Maple River back in front 51-50 at the 1:55 mark.

Humburg sank a clutch 3-pointer before moving inside the arc to sink another shot which gave the Bucs a 55-51 lead with 1:04 showing on the scoreboard clock.

Two more free throws by Cole closed the gap to two points before BEA’s Ella Swanson converted two shots from the charity stripe to put the Bucs on top 57-53 with 48 seconds left in regulation.

A 3-pointer by Maple River’s Alli Boening and a free throw by Olivia Sellers tied the game at 57-57 with 28.7 seconds on the clock and neither team scored again in regulation.

The Bucs began the extra period minus three players. Their season-leading scorer, Lundquist, was out due to her injury and Grace Schavey and Eastman both had to watch from the bench after fouling out.

Swanson’s basket from behind the arc gave BEA the early lead in the overtime period before Maple River scored six points on free throws to take the lead for good at 63-60. Another trey by Swanson was the only other basket the Bucs scored in the extra period.

The totals for the game show that BEA was 14-for-44 (31.8 percent) from inside the arc while Maple River was 17-for-40 (42.5 percent).

The Bucs were 10-for-32 (31.3 percent) from outside of the arc compared to the Eagles who were 3-for-14 (21.4 percent).

Maple River had 53 rebounds compared to 32 for BEA. The Bucs committed 12 turnovers to the Eagles’ 20 and had nine steals to the Eagles’ four.

Eastman led BEA in scoring with 19 points followed by Swanson with 14, Humburg with 13 and Weir with 10. Lundquist finished with seven points prior to her injury.

Swanson led the team with eight rebounds, Weir had seven and Emily Schrader had six.

Weir had four steals, Humburg had three and Eastman had two.

Cole led the Eagles with 23 points, Caven tallied 18 and Boening had 14.

It was the last game of their high school career for BEA seniors Lundquist and Schavey.