By BOB DAVIDSON
Salina Journal
The Brown Mackie women's basketball team made history Wednesday night.
Their 71-68 victory over Johnson County at Banes Gymnasium marked the first time in school history a Lions' team had beaten Johnson County in a women's game -- a span of 16 years.
Utilizing just six players, all freshmen, the Lions built a 17-point halftime lead and withstood Johnson County's furious rally at the end.
The Cavaliers (5-2) pulled within one, 69-68, with 11 seconds left. Whitney Holm hit two free throws with 7 seconds left and Johnson County misfired on a couple of late 3-point attempts.
Holm, a 5-foot-11 forward from Oklahoma City, was unstoppable, finishing with 29 points and 17 rebounds. She was 11 of 15 from the field and 7 of 12 at the free throw line. Robbin Webber had 18 points and six rebounds before fouling out, and Monica Burgess 10 points and eight rebounds.
"This is a big win for us," first-year BMC coach Keith Ferguson said. "This team has come together and played outstanding. I couldn't ask for anything more from them.
"For the program, it's something to build on. We've got to keep focused and keep this roll going. Three in a row is pretty good for us."
Brown Mackie is 6-4 on the season, an amazing accomplishment for a program that had one victory -- by forfeit -- the previous two seasons.
"We're believing and we're running our stuff," Ferguson said. "We're getting where we can get our shots and get to the free throw line, what girls get the right shots. We're starting to figure it all out."
Asked if he's worried about the lack of numbers being a problem, Ferguson smiled.
"They don't get tired, they can't get tired," he said.