Pat Harty

Your Prep Sports

NORTH LIBERTY – Sophomore Isabel Smith became the answer to a trivia question on Monday.

Who made the first game-winning basket in the history of the Liberty High girls basketball program?

Smith earned that distinction by making a short bank shot in the closing seconds to lift Liberty High to a 44-43 come-from-behind victory over Mount Vernon.

Her basket capped a dramatic comeback that started late in the third quarter with the Lightning trailing by 11 points.

Liberty High (1-2) scored the final four points in the third quarter and then outscored Mount Vernon 14-6 in the fourth quarter to secure the first victory in program history.

“It’s just crazy,” Smith said of her historic basket. “It’s all about the team. We all did that together and it’s not just one person.

“But it’s the team as a whole as it feels amazing.”

When the game ended, the Liberty High students rushed the court to celebrate with their victorious classmates. Monday’s game was the first home game for Liberty High, which opened this fall.

“Oh man, it feels good,” said Liberty High head coach Jaime Brandt. “I’m just so proud of these girls. I’ve been with them since this summer and just to see their progress, I mean we were down nine or ten (points) in that fourth quarter and to see them keep believing and playing the way I preach them to play, I’m just so proud of them.”

Smith will be remembered for making the game-winning basket, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the performance of fellow sophomore Cora Saunders, who scored all of her team-high 17 points in the second half.

Saunders also made four of Liberty High’s nine 3-point baskets.

“I’m just so happy,” Saunders said. “We’ve worked so hard and we got beat the last two games. We just wanted to win so bad.”

The Lightning trailed 12-6 after the first quarter, but then chipped away at the lead in the second quarter, which ended with Mount Vernon clinging to a 23-21 lead.

Mount Vernon expanded the lead to 37-30 after three quarters, but then only made three baskets in the fourth quarter, while Saunders made three of her four treys in the fourth quarter.

Liberty High outscored Mount Vernon 27-3 from 3-point range, which is fitting considering Brandt’s history as a shooter.

Brandt, formerly known as Jaime Printy, was a prolific 3-point shooter for Linn-Mar High School and for the University of Iowa where she was a star shooting guard under Lisa Bluder.

“We preach getting your teammate an open shot and driving and kicking and having your feet set,” Brandt said. “So we obviously work on that a lot.

“But we do have some good shooters. I can’t really take credit for that. I haven’t been with them that long.”

Saunders missed all three of her shots in the first half, but she didn’t let that affect her in the second half as she came out firing.

“She just has that shooter’s confidence,” Brandt said. “You have to just believe the next one is going in. She struggled in the first half a little bit and then came out in the second half still believing that the next shot was in. And I’m super proud of her for doing that.”

Saunders’ younger sister, freshman Jenna Saunders, made two 3-point baskets and finished with 10 points, including seven in the first half.

As for Smith, her only basket in the game is one that she will cherish and remember forever because of the circumstances.

“It’s just an amazing opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful team,” Smith said.

Mount Vernon 12 11 14  6 – 43

Liberty High    6  15  9 14 – 44

Mount Vernon (43) – McKenzie Hartl 1-5 0-1 2, Noelle Ossenkop 3-8 1-2 7, Samantha Moss 3-7 2-2 8, Sydney Hauser 2-7 1-3 5, Kristen Elliott 8-16 1-5 18, Annie Rhomberg 0-3 1-2 1, Bailey hauser 0-1 0-0 0, Katheryn Opperman 0-2 0-0 0, Ella Brase 1-2 0-0 2, Summer Brand 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-51 6-15 43.

Liberty High (44) – Isabel Smith 1-2 0-0 2, Sam McPherson 3-12 1-2 9, Brylee Klosterman1-3 1-2 3, Cora Saunders 5-12 3-4 17, KayliBaldwin 1-3 0-0 3, Emily Larsen 0-0 0-0 0, Jenna Saunders 3-8 2-4 10, Lily Anderson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-39 7-12 44.

3-point goals – Mount Vernon 1 (Elliott); Liberty High 9 (Cora Saunders 4, McPherson 2, Jenna Saunders 2, Baldwin). Fouls – Mount Vernon 14, Liberty High 20.