MEDINA — Although she may be walking a bit gingerly today, Highland’s Olivia Petek didn’t look fatigued whatsoever after playing the majority of 44 minutes Tuesday night.

The senior helped lead the way as the Hornets needed three overtimes, a handful of big plays and a little luck to take down upset-minded Strongsville 63-59 in their Medina Division I Sectional opener.

Highland’s Olivia Petek shoots over Strongsville’s Lauren Vagt in the fourth quarter. Petek scored 27 points in the Hornets’ 64-55 triple-overtime victory. (GAZETTE PHOTO BY RON SCHWANE)

“I probably won’t feel it until tomorrow,” Petek said with a smile. “The crowd and the environment helped me along the way that I didn’t even realize I had been playing the whole time.”

Thanks to Petek’s game-high 27 points, fourth-seeded Highland (14-7) overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to force overtime and outlast an eighth-ranked Mustangs team that had just four wins.

“I’m just so proud,” said the forward, who shot 11-of-22 from the field to go along with eight rebounds. “To dig a hole like that and come out of it, I’m proud of the effort. It says a lot to come out of a hole like that.”

The Hornets slowly chipped away at the double-figure deficit in the second half, rallying to take their first lead with less than three minutes to go in regulation on a transition layup by Petek.

Free throws from teammates Anna Rose Wiencek and AnnMarie Kirchner put Highland up three.

It was a lead that was short-lived.

“We just didn’t play well in the first half,” Hornets coach Michael Murphy said. “We had a lack of energy, missed layups and you can’t overcome that.

“We challenged their heart at halftime and we had that energy in the second half.”

That’s when the fun started.

Highland would up with a pair of key defensive plays at the end of the first two overtimes to keep the game going. Haley Roddy (5 points, team-best 14 rebounds) blocked Mustangs guard Nina Vinci’s shot attempt at the end of the first session, and Petek came up with a swat of her own to set up a final shot at the end of the second — an 18-footer by Karissa Steffas (14 points, 10 rebounds).

Fatigue set in from there for both teams. Strongsville (4-17) watched three of its players foul out, and the Hornets won the game from a place that was unkind to them all night — the free throw line.

After going a paltry 12-of-31 at the line heading into the final overtime, Steffas, Kirchner and Petek were a combined 8-of-10 with the game on the line.

The fouls, although most were intentionally committed to gain possession of the ball, were a key factor for the Mustangs in the second-half turnaround.

“It just seemed like all of sudden the whistle started blowing,” Strongsville coach Jeff Eicher said. “I’m not blaming that, but you have to adjust.”

If it wasn’t for Petek, the game would’ve very well ended an hour before it did.

The 6-foot All-Gazette selection scored eight of her team’s 17 first-half points and combined with Steffas for 13 of the team’s 15 points in the third quarter to pull within four.

With the Mustangs keying Steffas all night with pressure, Petek took full advantage of openings in the variety of half-court defensive looks throws at the Hornets.

“There were a lot of holes in the lane that opened up,” she said. “We just worked the ball around and played as a team. That was the best part.

Along with Petek and Steffas, Kirchner added nine and five steals in Highland’s first playoff win in two seasons.

Strongsville built its early lead thanks to the play of Nicole Lisi (19 points), Vinci (17, 3 3-pointers) and Lauren Vagt (11, game-high 17 rebounds).

Notes

At the end of the second overtime, former Buckeye girls coach and current Strongsville assistant Steve Borgis looked up to the press row above the one basket and yelled, “Keeping you up late, huh?”

• Speaking of former Bucks, Tanya Ross Dolata took in the game. Dolata is an English teacher at Highland High.

Contact Dan Brown at sports@medina-gazette.com.

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