BROSELEY -- Naylor lost to Doniphan by 16 points on Dec. 10, but that game didn't mean a thing this time around.
The Lady Eagles shook off that earlier loss and took it to the fourth-seeded Donettes in the second half. After taking a two-point lead to the locker room, Naylor clamped down on defense and allowed two points the third quarter before finishing off a 45-31 win Tuesday. The Lady Eagles ended the Donettes' six-game winning streak and advanced to the semifinals of the Lady Royals Classic. Naylor will make its first appearance in the semifinals since 2011.
Third-seeded Naylor was aggressive on defense throughout the game, but the intensity reached a new level in the team's dominant third quarter. The only Doniphan points came from a pair of free throws by Alexis Day with just over 30 seconds to go in the quarter.
"We just played really good, fundamental defense. We've been working on that, playing man to man, not getting out of it, sticking with it," Naylor coach Gene Deckard said. "We've got a very young group, so we're just staying with stuff and getting things down."
Prior to that, Naylor made a 13-0 run eat seven minutes off the game clock. Danielle Shepard sparked the game-clinching burst with a putback layup inside. McKenzie Crofford drained a 3-pointer on the wing to give Naylor the first double-digit lead of the game for either side. Crofford scored 10 points, nine of which came in the third quarter with a trio of treys. Crofford wrapped up the run with a wide open triple on the wing once again.
"The girls responded in the second half, locked down on defense and made a few shots," Deckard said. "The first half, we missed a few point blank ones that would've given us a decent lead, but in the second half, we made some shots. Mckenzie made about three 3s, and that kind of opened things up."
Both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm early on, but once Naylor got its groove, its defense made sure Doniphan was unable to do the same.
Crofford helped start the fourth quarter on the right foot with a third 3-pointer on the wing to put Naylor ahead by 18, its largest lead of the game.
"On offense, first off, we just weren't turning the ball over as much," Crofford said. "We just I guess thought of what (assistant coach Logan Foster) says to us, hold the rope. That's what we all think of and we all say it to each other. It just means a lot to us and we really gritted down our teeth. And it's Doniphan, our biggest rival. We always want to get a win against them."
Sophomore Madison Eddington tried to will the Donettes back into the game when she snuck behind the defense for three straight layups, but Doniphan wasn't able to cut its deficit below 11 points.
Even when the Donettes were finding looks at the basket, it seemed at times like a lid was on the rim because countless shots just wouldn't fall. Other times, Naylor's pressure seemed relentless while forcing its share of turnovers.
"We're growing a lot stronger together, and (the win) is going to push us to play harder together," Crofford said.
Sophomore Kaylynn Johnson continued to lead the young Lady Eagles. Johnson scored 15 points on six made baskets and a 3 for 4 day from the charity stripe. Eddington led Doniphan in scoring with eight points, all of which came in the fourth quarter.
"(The win) is big, especially when you're Ripley County rivals," Deckard said. We lost to them by 16 last week. In a week's time, we've learned a lot and turned the tables, and I couldn't be more proud of them. ... That's our goal this season, to just keep learning and getting after it."