Fackelman clutch in Bees 2-OT win

Stephanie Fackelman only scored nine points in the game - but five of those came with the game on the line in Byron-Bergen's 63-59 double-overtime girls' basketball win over Batavia-Notre Dame January 14.

Her long three-point shot at the regulation buzzer tied the game at 49-49 and she later took a perfect bounce pass from Megan Richards for a lay-up plus a foul shot giving the Bees a 60-57 lead late in the second overtime.

The two top-ten teams among small schools slugged it out before the late heroics. The Bees held a 10-8 first quarter lead and, thanks to a defensive press that caused numerous turnovers, pushed their lead to 28-14. However, the Irish finished the first half with five unanswered points and outscored the Bees 12-5 in the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame added eight more unanswered to take a 41-40 lead. The teams traded the lead through the next few minutes with the Bees Jessica Clark giving them a 46-45 lead with a lay-up off an inbounds pass. The Irish scored the next four points with a field goal and two free throws before the Fackelman shot sending the crowd into a frenzy and the game into overtime.

Byron-Bergen managed just four points in the first overtime - a baseline jumper from 8th grader Alyssa D'Errico and a Rachel Smith foul line jump shot - but the defense held the Irish to just four points also. A Notre Dame steal started the second overtime before Errico came back with a driving lay-up. Clark then made a fabulous baseline move with 1:50 left giving the Bees a two-point lead. After the Irish tied the game, Fackelman made her second clutch shot and completed the three-point play with a foul shot with 1:20 left to make it a three-point lead. Richards key foul shot and a Clark steal and lay-up sealed the win, which improved the Bees record to 13-1.

"We were tired from playing last night and having three games in four days, plus we usually play more players but had some a little under the weather," said head coach Tom Sherwood. "This is the first time in my five years we've beaten them. I'm really happy with the way this team responded."

Clark led the Bees in scoring with 18 points. Richards dominated the boards especially in the first half and finished with 15 points while Fackelman and Smith each had nine points in the game.