Stratford wins region title 74-70 over FPD with heroic overtime rebound

When a second free throw from Stratford’s Delaila Lowe clanked off the rim, it looked like the FPD Vikings might do the unthinkable.

FPD trailed by only one point with 11 seconds left in overtime during the region championship game Friday, and one of the Eaglettes’ most dependable shooters had missed two free throws to keep the score at 71-70. 

As the ball fell back down toward the hardwood, it looked like the Vikings would have a prime opportunity to knock off the team that had dominated its region all year long and beaten them by more than 20 points twice.

Then Hatsy Russell happened.

As FPD tried to box out, Russell — a freshman for Stratford who had scored 2 points in the first three quarters — leapt up, snatched the rebound and somehow got the putback to go, giving the Eaglettes a 3-point lead that went on to decide the game as Stratford held on to win the region title game 74-70.

As the Stratford side of the crowd went wild, perhaps the only person in the Tattnall gym that was not shocked was Stratford head coach Ed Smith.

“Hatsy had several big shots. Some nights you just have a hunch on some things and some matchups. We felt like she was there for us to give a shot to, and she made the most of her shots,” Smith said. “That putback was probably the play of the game, to be honest with you. Who knows what would’ve happened if we went back down the other end.”

Russell had 10 points on the night and scored 8 of them in the fourth quarter and overtime, helping the Eaglettes finish out the nail-biting win over their crosstown rival. The entire Stratford squad kept its composure despite the tight game, fighting through a night where the shots weren’t falling and some fouls did not go their way.

Smith commended FPD for partially neutralizing Stratford’s usual star shooter, Camiyah Hudson, who had four fouls for a significant portion of the second half. Hudson still poured in 19 points, while Lowe followed with 18. Hayden Craddock scored 17 points in what was a team effort for the Eaglettes.

“They were face guarding Camiyah, and we expected that. … Once their big freshman (Brianna Crosby) fouled out and they were still face guarding Camiyah, Delaila was able to get to the rim and get better looks,” Smith said. “It just went our way tonight.”

Stratford’s freshman was not the only young player making plays, however.

The Vikings forced overtime with intense downhill offense and a dazzling effort from eighth grader Morgann Ford, who stole the show with an incredible 29 points. She scored 13 of those points in the fourth quarter, including two ice-cold free throws that tied the game with 0.8 seconds remaining to send it to overtime. 

Despite a traveling call on FPD’s final possession, Ford’s performance fueled the Vikings’ stellar showing against the Eaglettes.

“She was in tears because of that last call, but she played her heart out. She had ice in her veins, she didn’t miss a free throw tonight,” FPD head coach Doug Wasden said. “She’s been getting better and better coming off the bench. She’s worthy of more, but she has an important role — I don’t lose anything, I gain something sometimes when she comes in.”

Bowen Matthews followed with 22 points, while Elcee Leslein netted 10 points. 

Crosby played a great game in the post, though she fouled out with about 1:30 left to play. Her presence was missed when Russell executed her heroic rebound in overtime.

“The last two weeks of the season, we’ve been focusing on boxing out and rebounding,” Wasden said with a wry smile. “Bri had fouled out, and she’s usually really good at controlling the boards down there. I just wasn’t expecting that. I was thinking we would get that rebound and run.”

Stratford had the edge for most of the first half, though FPD’s scoring was timely enough to keep the Eaglettes from going on a serious scoring run. The Vikings kept Stratford’s lead at 37-29 going into halftime.

The third quarter is where FPD really found its footing. The Eaglettes uncharacteristically missed shots, and the Vikings capitalized on them with hard drives for layups and solid free throw shooting. The two teams went into the fourth quarter tied 43-43.

The two squads traded blows from there, with Ford seeming to figure into every FPD drive with an acrobatic layup here or a slick pass there. Her impact culminated with a 3-point play on a runner that gave the Vikings a 60-59 lead. 

After a Stratford layup and a free throw made it a two-point margin again, Ford got fouled on FPD’s final drive and hit her clutch free throws. The overtime period was more of the same, but Hudson and Lowe kept the scoring coming for Stratford before Russell’s board gave the Eaglettes the final push they needed to win their second consecutive region title.

Stratford is currently No. 3 in the GIAA 4A state rankings, giving them a bye for the first round of the state tournament. FPD is No. 6 and will have a first-round matchup next week.