Sydney Isabella delivered a dominant fourth-quarter performance Thursday night, scoring 13 of her game-high 19 points to lift Willoughby South to a 45-43 nonconference comeback victory over host Jefferson.
Trailing entering the final period, the Rebels (6-14) erupted for a 21-11 surge to erase the deficit and steal momentum late in the season. The win sends South into Tuesday’s road trip to Harvey with renewed confidence after closing strong down the stretch.
“The girls don’t quit,” said South interim coach Joe Pintar. “They always play until the final buzzer.”
Jefferson built early momentum, leading 12-6 after the first quarter and holding a slim edge through three periods behind a 17-point effort from Dani Furman. South struggled to find rhythm offensively, scoring just 24 points through the first three quarters before everything shifted late.
“We let the game into our head, and we weren’t playing our style of basketball,” Pintar said. “We were trying to play what was being given to us, instead of playing our own game. Finally, in the fourth quarter, we played our game under control, made our drives and kicks, and hit some shots outside. And then our defense made them cough up the ball, and we got some easy ones.”
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Isabella’s aggressive drives sparked the rally, while Tia Jackson added nine points. Ava Proctor contributed eight points and made her presence felt on the glass, with Morgan Hayek and Lanila Fatica each adding four points, and Neve Duffy chipping in one.
“I had a talk with her at halftime. She seemed like she was trying to force it too much,” Pintar said of Isabella. “We talked to her and told her to calm down and let the game come to you. And that’s what she ended up doing in that fourth quarter, and she was able to take over the fourth quarter.”
Isabella said the late surge was especially meaningful as she continues working back from an ankle injury.
“It was so exciting to have played such a big role in our comeback, especially after just coming back from an ankle injury,” Isabella said. “It was super rewarding to see that my hard work is starting to pay off.”
Jackson’s fourth-quarter 3-pointer also sparked the Rebels.
“That was huge,” Pintar added of Jackson’s late triple. “She always finds her way into that spot. That’s not the first time she’s done that for us.”
South’s turnaround also featured a strong interior presence from Proctor, whose rebounding helped ignite transition opportunities.
“Ava Proctor was huge on the boards tonight and every night,” Pintar said. “She always finds herself in the right spot at the right time and never quits. It’s new for her playing down low. She’s always played the guard position. Her boxing out and being aggressive has helped us this entire season.”
With postseason play approaching, Isabella emphasized the importance of building momentum after a tough regular season.
“I was really determined to get the basket because it was such a close game with a lot of pressure. I really wanted to lock in the win for my team,” Isabella said. “It is super important for our team to take this momentum to the postseason because if we start to slow down now, we may not see the results we want in the playoffs.”
Dani Furman led the Falcons with 17 points.
