Shattering the Moorefield Girls Basketball career scoring record which stood for 21 seasons finally came to fruition with a 3-pointer by senior Lindsey Rinker on a third period buzzer beater during a 91-2 romp over Paw Paw in the Class A Region II Section 2 quarterfinals last Saturday.
Moorefield alumna and former West Virginia University Women’s Basketball player Jess Fisher held the career scoring record of 1,406 points since 1999 and it was 21 years removed before it was broken by No. 21.
Rinker knew about the record since being in middle school and was determined to set the new school record during her career and did just that against the Pirates scoring a game-high 23 points as her total is currently at 1,409 points and counting with more playoff games ahead.
“I have been working on this since I was in eighth grade and Coach Keplinger was my gym teacher. We always talked about playing in high school and wanting to go to the state tournament. After scoring 416 points my freshman year and finding out what the recored was, I pushed myself everyday. My teammates helped me accomplish that goal and it is so much relief to have achieved it tonight,” Moorefield Girls Basketball all-time career scoring record holder Lindsey Rinker commented.
“Coach Keplinger asked me if I wanted to wait and I told him I wasn’t going to play selfish, but if I got my shots I would take them. To break it tonight was a huge relief on me and a great accomplishment. I am glad my family was here to enjoy it. To know it wasn’t just one of my goals, but my former coaches, my friends, family and everyone, It wasn’t just my goal, I give all of them credit on this amazing feeling. I got a little discouraged along the way, but my teammates were there to encourage me and told me to keep shooting and that they would get me the shots. They just told me to keep shooting and that was the mindset I had tonight. Breaking that record is a huge playoff boost and I was nervous I wouldn’t have enough games to break it. I didn’t play a lot the past couple of games and freaking out a little. I had a chance tonight, so I went ahead. I asked my teammates if it would make me a bad person to break the record tonight and they said no way, because you’ve been working so hard for this and deserve it 100 percent. Even on a fast break layup, coach told them to give [private]Lindsey the ball and let her score it. For them to tell me to keep my head up and keep trying, just meant a lot to me. I met Jess Fisher at a West Virginia game, an alumni game. I introduced myself and told her I was after her record and she gave me best wishes to break it or at least get close to it and I take a lot of respect out of that.”
The Yellow Jackets record breaker began the game with an assist passing to Anna Riggleman for the first points of the playoff contest against Paw Paw at the 7:49 mark.
Paw Paw (0-19) missed the first field goal attempt with the ball ricocheting out of bounds, then the Yellow Jackets (11-12) hit the rim six consecutive times with rebounds by seniors Lindsey Rinker, Madison McGregor and Gianna Fair (two) before the last one went to Pirates player Halle Galliher.
Moorefield’s Remington Hinkle stole the ball and was fouled on the layup attempt making one of two free throws before snatching the rebound and assisting Rinker on a basket at 6:11 for a 5-0 lead.
McGregor nailed back-to-back 3-pointers after consecutive Paw Paw turnovers to give the Yellow Jackets an 11-0 lead at 5:11.
Paw Paw’s only points of the game came on a jumper by Trista Abrell at the 4:05 mark.
The Yellow Jackets missed three more shots as McGreor and Fair collected rebounds before Abrell snatched the board and lost the ball out of bounds.
Rinker hit the first of five 3-pointers at the 3:16 mark which created a 14-2 lead and meant just 16 points were needed to break the all-time career scoring record.
There were a combined ten missed field goals and six turnovers over the next couple of minutes.
In the final minute of the first period, Moorefield’s Cherish Moore made a steal and grabbed an offensive rebound before sinking a basket.
Moorefield’s Lexi Gilhuys swiped the ball and scored on a breakaway layup, then Rinker stole the ball and dished to Gilhuys for another score creating a 20-2 advantage with Moore notching one more steal to close the frame.
McGregor garnered a third trifecta early in the second period as the Yellow Jackets kept the momentum going.
After a couple of turnovers in both directions including steals by Galliher and Rinker, Riggleman snatched a defensive rebound and Fair finished the possession with a bucket at 6:39, 25-2.
Hinkle hauled in a defensive board, then Paw Paw’s Hana Hendrickson collected a defensive one.
McGregor and Hinkle forced a turnover on a trap and an offensive rebound by Hinkle with a pass out to the perimeter provided an opening for McGregor to hit a long distance jumper at 5:46.
Hinkle notched consecutive steals for a layup and an old-fashioned three-point play before a takeaway by Fair setup a trip to the free throw line for Rinker getting two points closer to the career milestone.
The Yellow Jackets notched three more field goals in the last three minutes and change of the first half as Moore and Gilhuys (two) netted the shots for a 40-2 halftime score.
Both teams combined to miss 14 field goals during that stretch of time.
A discussion with teammates to break the barrier in this playoff contest confirmed Rinker’s determination to make it happen after halftime. Rinker spent time talking with Coach Keplinger during the intermission on the bench as the wisdom of the old ball coach caused her to smile.
The career scoring radar was on target as Rinker knocked down a 3-pointer just 12 seconds into the third period as only 11 more points were needed to break the school record.
Rinker would score 16 points during the third period with the final perimeter shot being the difference maker to close out the frame.
Fair scored on a putback at the 7:07 mark for the Yellow Jackets coming after a steal by Riggleman.
Hinkle stole the ball and completed an old-fashioned three-point play to put Moorefield up 48-2 at the 6:00 mark.
Riggleman made a steal and the ensuing shot hit the rim with Paw Paw’s Abrell snatching the rebound, then Fair blocked a shot.
Both teams missed field goals, then a rebound by McGregor with a pass to Rinker setup a 3-pointer at the 4:22 mark.
After the Pirates missed, Rinker scored in the paint for the Yellow Jackets.
Riggleman extended the lead with a jumper on the following possession.
Paw Paw hit the rim and Rinker drilled a 3-pointer with 2:50 remaining to need only three more points to break the scoring record.
Gilhuys swiped the ball and went in for a breakaway layup, despite pleas from the coach to give the ball to Rinker as she thought he wanted her to keep going, 60-2.
The Pirates fumbled the ball out of bounds, then Moore scored on a putback with two minutes left in the third period.
Gilhuys garnered a steal and passed to Rinker, who missed at the perimeter and Sterling Kump grabbed the board with an assist on a layup by Rinker at 1:20 to tie the school record.
Kump made a steal and Rinker missed two attempts as a nerves were rattling so close to setting the new record.
In the closing seconds of the third period, Rinker made a steal and connected on the buzzer-beating 3-pointer to set the Moorefield Girls Basketball career scoring record at 1,409 points and the lead stood at 67-2.
Rinker celebrated with her coaches, teammates and family during the break before sitting down on the bench to cheer on the underclassmen for the remainder of the game.
Kump added eight points for the Yellow Jackets in the fourth period during the 91-2 victory and senior Isabelle Nesbit pitched in a pair of field goals plus six rebounds and a steal in the quarterfinal match.
“It is something she has worked hard for and a goal she set since middle school. She worked very hard over the years and I am proud of her to accomplish that goal and we just have to keep going and I know her teammates are proud of her. She started out her freshman year with 416 points and later on everybody else was scoring more and we just didn’t worry about it. She kept working and stayed focused,” Moorefield Coach Paul Keplinger remarked.
“Tonight she made a couple and started dishing the ball off to other people, because she likes to pass the ball around and is an unselfish player, yet it still happened. It is the type of player she is on the court. Her teammates really wanted her to set the record and it was a total team effort getting her open to make the shots and it is a reflection on them. Jess was a great athlete and held this record for the past two decades. Having her make the shot at the end of the quarter was a great feeling, It was a big sigh of relief from everybody on the bench. They were happy and proud of her. We can focus on Pendleton County for Thursday night and that game could put us in the regional game. Last time we played them, it was a little closer than we would have liked. We will come out focused and it will be a good atmosphere with our students here. Those girls from Paw Paw never quit and played for four quarters, I give them credit for that. I like being on the other end of that one.”[/private]
Moorefield hosted Pendleton County in the semifinals yesterday with the other semifinal contest being between Union and Tucker County. The Tigers edged East Hardy 38-36 to reach the semifinals and Tucker County beat Harman. The section championship will be held in Petersburg on Thursday night with both teams earning a spot in the Class A Region II Championship games with a state tournament berth on the line.