Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

West Branch’s come-from-behind one-point win over Mount Vernon on Monday was among the best basketball games I’ve seen this season.

The Bears overcame a two-point first quarter, a 13-point first-half deficit and capped the rally with a game-winning three-pointer with three seconds left.

Every sports reporter will say all they are looking for is a good story and the 45-44 win by West Branch was certainly worthy of a few written words.

However, the best story from Monday night wasn’t the win.

The real story was Kylie Pickett and it was a tale of why high school athletics are more about life lessons than wins and losses.

To know the story you have to know Pickett.

Since she started playing basketball Pickett has been better at one aspect than any other – shooting.

Pickett leads the Bears in made three-pointers (31) and three-point percentage (33%) this season.

“She is one of those kids that every time she shoots it I think it’s going in,” West Branch coach Jarod Tylee said.

Pickett has never been shy about getting up shots.

Last season as a freshman Pickett got the first extended game action of her career in a tight game against perennial power Cascade.

She took four threes and hit one in a close loss.

That fearlessness is part of what Tylee loves about Pickett the player and why the long-time coach found a more prominent role in the offense for the sharpshooter this season.

“Even last year as a freshman when she came in she was not afraid to shoot it,” Tylee explained. “She’s never been afraid to shoot it and I’m fine with that. I love that she has that mentality.”

Like every other Bear, Pickett struggled early on Monday missing all three of her 3-point attempts in the first quarter as West Branch fell into an 11-2 hole.

As the game tightened up Pickett still couldn’t buy a basket.

She was 0-of-6 when she had a three-pointer rim out with the Bears trailing by three late in the fourth quarter.

Suddenly the seemingly unflappable Pickett didn’t want to shoot.

“I was not wanting to shoot,” Pickett said. “I was told to keep shooting but I just didn’t want to. I would just dribble away or shot fake. I was just avoiding shooting.”

The fourth quarter was filled with pump fakes and passes for Pickett rather than shot attempts.

With the game tied at 42 with under 30 seconds to play Pickett had a cross-court pass intercepted and turned into a transition layup.

It seemed to the sophomore sharpshooter like the last of a series of forgettable events in an all-around rotten evening.

“She had tears in her eyes in the locker room because I think she thought her turnover there that led to the layup was going to cost us the game,” Tylee said. “It very well could have but those things happen.”

That’s when sports did what sports so often do.

If you’ve been around athletics long enough you know what I mean.

The bases loaded ground ball always seems to be hit to the infielder that just made an error.

The receiver with a couple of dropped passes is the one open in the end zone.

And the shooter that is 0-for-the game is open at the buzzer.

That was Pickett.

Whatever play Tylee called during a timeout with 13 seconds remaining wasn’t run properly.

The ball was tipped around and bounced free in the middle of the court.

West Branch senior center Delaynie Luneckas picked it up and flung it to Pickett who had no choice but to do what exactly what she had avoided doing the past nine minutes.

Shoot.

“With time running out I had no choice but to shoot it,” Pickett said. “Shoot it and hope it went in.”

It went in. West Branch won 45-44. The Bears moved to 10-3 on the season.

All of that is great but it’s hardly the story.

The story is Pickett and the morals of that story are aplenty.

Things won’t always be easy, there will be challenges, life will knock you down but don’t give up.

Pickett didn’t give up on Monday instead she kept shooting.

“I am most proud of her for being willing to step up and take that shot,” Tylee said. “I am glad that shot went in but I’m just as proud she stepped up and took it. I’m proud more so for her than for anything.”

Like so many others I’ve been taught that lesson first-hand, sometimes in athletics and other times in life.

On Monday, Pickett provided a nice reminder of what to do if things aren’t going your way.

Keep shooting.

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