VAN BUREN -- Ruthie McCain wasn't playing basketball last year, but Rogers Heritage is very glad she is this season.
McCain, a senior, got the offense going early and often to allow Heritage to rally for a 51-48 overtime win on the road against Van Buren at Clair Bates Arena.
"The girls really have trusted Ruthie and brought her into the fold very quickly," Heritage coach Josh Laymon said. "I'm proud of them for that because they trust her. It shows the character of our team to come together as a unit. The year away for Ruthie has worked out for her. She is playing great basketball."
McCain finished with a game-high 23 points for Heritage, which rallied from being down by 14 points in the third quarter. Sophie Sarratt also chipped in 12 points for the Lady War Eagles (9-1).
Van Buren (6-4) was guided by 16 points from Kenzie Jones and 10 points from Holly Ming.
When the team needed points the most down the stretch, it was McCain and Sarratt making plays for Heritage. They combined to score 14 of the team's 16 fourth-quarter points.
Van Buren held a 13-10 edge after a quarter then a 24-22 advantage heading into the break. The Lady Pointers with an 8-0 run pushed their lead out to 38-24 in the third quarter and held a 38-30 edge entering the fourth quarter.
That's when McCain and Sarratt took over. They helped guide a 10-0 run to take a 46-44 lead with 1:28 left in regulation. Van Buren got a shot to fall at the buzzer from Aspen Cone to send it to overtime.
"That was a clutch play, but it was all a player making a play," Van Buren coach Michael Kinney said. "I didn't draw that one up. She made a basketball play and gave us a chance in overtime. Our girls battled, and that's all you can ask for. They've been doing it all year."
Heritage outscored Van Buren 5-2 in overtime with Carlee Casteel hitting a three-pointer and McCain hitting a shot inside to help preserve the victory.
McCain, who is signing with Cottey College out of Missouri next Tuesday, found success early scoring eight of the team's 10 points in the first quarter. She used that momentum to fuel her success in the come-from-behind victory.
"I was feeling confident and I was really happy with that," McCain said. "I was trying to play tough the entire game and keep my energy up. We have a really good chemistry on this team. This was a great team win."
Turnovers were a big key for Heritage during the initial three quarter of the game. They had 19 turnovers in those quarters but had just three in the fourth quarter and overtime. Van Buren had six turnovers in the fourth quarter after combining to have six in the second and third quarters.
"Offensively, we really settled down at the end," Laymon said. "We ran more sets and stopped giving the ball away. Defensively, we dialed up the pressure and that made an impact. We didn't play a complete game, but we played well when we needed it the most."
It appeared the game might've went to a second overtime when Cone hit a three-point shot at the end of overtime, but it was well after the buzzer.
"We got our shot, but it was just a little too late," Kinney said. "I'm proud of my girls though. We just need to learn to execute down the stretch. That starts with me as the coach. I always tell them the tougher team will win in the fourth quarter or overtime. That's what happened."