103.9 KNZA Broadcast - Valley Falls at Jackson Heights - click here to listen (Girls | Boys) 

GIRLS = Jackson Heights 40, Valley Falls 36 in Overtime

It was a battle of undefeated League teams for sole possession of first place in the NEKL on Tuesday night before the Christmas break as the Cobras preserved for the home victory and beat Valley Falls for the first time since February 14th in 2012. 

Both teams played great defense and struggled on offense with Jackson Heights leading 18-12 at halftime.  A 6-0 spurt produced the largest lead of the game at 24-12 with 1:25 to play in the third period. However, Valley Falls answered with a 17-2 run and took a 29-26 lead in the final minutes of the game.  The Cobras ran a half-court inbounds play with 15 seconds left and after some congestion and panic, the ball found freshman Amaya Marlatt at the top of the key who hit the first three-pointer of the night to send the game to overtime. 

Kylie Dohl then hit a trey to start the extra session and Abby Williams added a three-point-play before Jackson Heights connected on six of nine free throws in the closing minutes, including two makes by Marlatt and one with eight seconds remaining for the final point of the night to earn the win and improve to 5-0 on the season.  Dohl finished with 15 points before fouling out and Jackson Heights overcame 22 turnovers, including nine in the fourth quarter when Valley Falls outscored them 14-5. 

Valley Falls dropped to 4-1 in the NEKL adn 4-2 overall with Reagan Kirkwood scoring 16 points and Alllison Kearney added 10.  Kearney made seven of her first eight free throws, but missed four straight in the fourth quarter as the Dragons couldn't put the game away and only made one trey on the night in the opening frame.  

BOYS = Jackson Heights 55, Valley Falls 38

Jackson Heights used an 18-6 third quarter to pull away from a 24-19 halftime lead and improve to 4-1 on the season as Lane Thomas scored 13 points and Braden Dohl added 12 in limited second half minutes before fouling out.  Levi Olberding chipped in with nine and Kolby Rethman added seven and Jackson Heights forced 25 Dragon turnovers and had less than 10 themselves.  Nathan Pickerall had a career night with 21 points to lead Valley Falls while Tyler Lockhart scored seven of his nine in the fourth quarter before the Dragons dropped to 1-5.