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Balzer lifts Germantown Academy girls to double OT win over Episcopal

Rachel Balzer thought she had put up an air ball. With just seconds remaining, the sophomore guard for the Germantown Academy girls' basketball team had the ball at the top of the key, ready to take it to the basket.

Rachel Balzer thought she had put up an air ball.

With just seconds remaining, the sophomore guard for the Germantown Academy girls' basketball team had the ball at the top of the key, ready to take it to the basket.

The score was tied, the game in double overtime, and the final shot would be Balzer's.

She had a few ideas as to what she was going to do with it, too - either a floater, a layup or a dish to a teammate on the block, she said.

But then, as she made her way to the basket, she lost her handle, and a defender got a hand on the ball.

Instead of panicking and forcing a bad shot, Balzer stepped back and let it fly.

There would be no air ball. Instead, the shot was nothing but net.

Balzer's heroics Friday gave the Patriots a 52-49 win over rival Episcopal Academy at Malvern in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools state semifinals.

"I've practiced that a lot, the fade-away three," Balzer said. "I was lucky it went in. I know I wasn't shooting well all game. I just hit it at the right time, which is nice."

"I just shot it, hoped for the best," she continued. "Luckily we were tied, so it was OK for me to do that. It looked good. But to be honest I thought it was going to air ball."

The Patriots (21-9) and Churchwomen (14-9) battled back and forth all game. Elodie Furey forced extra time in the final moments when she pulled Episcopal even with two free throws, and Germantown Academy freshman Jaye Haynes knotted the score at 47 to make the contest go into a second overtime.

"Driving is my strength, so I knew that was my time, the time to show what I've been working for. Even if it didn't go in I knew I had to take the contact and maybe a foul would be called," Haynes said. "I'm a pretty confident person, so I knew it was going in once I decided to drive."

A grinning coach, Sherri Retif, walked up to Balzer after addressing the team in the locker room.

"I haven't hugged you yet," Retif, said to No. 23. "Awesome. Way to keep your head in there."

Germantown Academy 13 15 4 10 5 5 - 52

Episcopal Academy 13 9 9 11 5 2 - 49

GA: Jaye Haynes 16, Rachel Balzer 10, Elle Stauffer 8, Maddie Vizza 8, Alexa Naessens 4, Abby Starzecky 2, Taylor Putnam 2, Shannon Topley 2.

EA: Luca Mamula 16, Elodie Furey 12, Reilly Wright 11, Seanna McNamara 9, Olivia Dirks 1.

@ka_harman

kharman@phillynews.com