People almost never get a chance at redemption, Chesapeake girls basketball coach Maria Gray said. He knows when senior Kiery Matkins has an opportunity in front of him, he will take it.
Less than 10 seconds remain in the Class 3A East Region I semifinal against Northeastern. Chesapeake, after dropping double digits, is back up double digits.
With the ball headed to Matkins, Northeast senior Starr Munford skated forward, reaching out to pick it up like he and the Eagles had done against the Cougars with varying success all night. Matkins avoided it, then faced the Eagles’ big London Jeffers.
Jeffers jumped for the block, but Matkins stretched his muscles as far as they would go.
“I knew I had to step up,” Matkins said, “whether I was going to make it or not.”
The tying basket sank with four seconds left, sending the two Pasadena rivals into overtime.
Four minutes of game time later, and Matkins was one of the first to squeal with delight, jumping up and down to where his team members waited to celebrate a 52-49 win and a ticket to Thursday’s region final at Poly.
“Kiery has had a phenomenal career here, and he deserves it, after a heartbreaking game here last time,” Gray said.
Three weeks ago, Matkins dropped by 30 points on the Eagles, only for Northeast to win at the buzzer in overtime.
“I’m sure, with the type of player he is and how much he wants it, he’ll find a way,” Gray said.
With 44.9 seconds remaining in overtime, senior Allison Schaefer cut through traffic and knocked the rebound back into the net, giving Chesapeake the lead for good.
Gray is confident his team can also handle the pressure of extra time. They just played the Eagles to overtime last month, as well as Southern and South River. This is nothing new, but this time the celebration feels sweeter.
“There’s nothing better than beating your rival to keep your senior season alive,” Matkins said. “And there’s no other team I’d rather do it with.”
Matkins (19 points, nine rebounds, three steals) lit a fire under the Cougars when they needed a spark most. Northeast ran out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, claiming rebounds and easy baskets while forcing turnovers. Chesapeake slumped afterward. Jeffers spearheaded the Eagles’ effort from the post.
Chesapeake forward Claire Foster was the first to fight back – a beacon in the darkness of what the sophomore would do for the Cougars later in the day – with a free throw and a jumper. But when Matkins hit two 3-pointers before the first and third quarters ended, tying the score just three points into the second, the Cougars finally really came back.
Even when the Eagles disrupted Chesapeake’s first few shot attempts, the key was for the Cougars to continue to rebound. When Munford and Jeffers put Northeast back up by six points, they couldn’t run as far as they wanted as long as Chesapeake continued to harass them with every move.
Frustration set in for Foster as he picked up his fourth foul early in the fourth quarter. But there was still plenty of time remaining, and the responsibility he felt towards his teammates overpowered his nervousness about committing a foul.
“I took a deep breath and decided I wanted to work hard for my seniors,” Foster said.
The Eagles maintained a slim 28-23 lead to start the final quarter. Foster fired in 10 points, returning to lead Chesapeake each time Northeast jumped ahead. That, Gray said, is why Foster earned his starting spot early in the season.
Even when Foster finally fouled out, the confidence remained within the Chesapeake group.
“I’m not worried,” Matkins said. “We have a bench and we can rely on that bench to make the plays we need to.”
Have a workout tip? Contact Katherine Fominykh at kfominykh@baltsun.com or DM @capgazsports on Instagram.
CHESAPEAKE – 11 6 6 18 11 – 52
NORTH EAST – 14 9 5 13 8 – 49
Score goals
CH: Matkins 19 points, Foster 14, Cieri 8, Emily Brandts 3, Schaefer 2
NO: Jeffers 17 points, Munford 17, Makaila Jones 6, Sogbo 6, Brynn Jones 3
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