In a rematch Monday night, the teams played a closer game that will more likely resemble a game down the road with much more on the line.

In a game that featured 11 lead changes and six ties, Frewsburg sophomore Jadyn Trocki scored the go-ahead basket with 1.3 seconds remaining as the Bears evened the season series and likely split the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 3 title with a 49-47 victory over the Cardinals at Frewsburg Middle/High School.

“Having this win under our belt definitely makes it feel a lot better,” Frewsburg head coach Sierra Beaver said. ” … If you drop this game, doubt starts to sneak in, ‘Can we actually beat them?’ I think it helps us in a lot of ways.”

Randolph (10-5, 7-1, NYSSWA Class C No. 3) led 20-19 after a first half dominated by defense and the Cardinals still led 37-35 after a third quarter that saw the lead change hands six times and the score tied four times.

Frewsburg’s Teghan Trocki, right, and Randolph’s Gianna Bowles, left, fight for a rebound during Monday’s CCAA Division 3 girls basketball game. Photo courtesy of Steve Garvey

“I felt like we should’ve been up by more than we were. We missed some easy buckets,” Randolph head coach David Pihlblad said. “I thought we played really good defense in the first half and we just missed our opportunities when we could’ve extended the lead a little bit.”

Senior Ava Jimerson tied the game at 37 to open the fourth quarter and her twin sister, Taytum, gave the Bears (13-3, 8-1, NYSSWA Class C No. 4) a 40-39 lead on a 3-pointer with 5:52 showing on the clock.

Frewsburg’s lead eventually grew to four on another bucket from Ava Jimerson, but on the ensuing inbounds play, she was injured in a loose-ball scrum. Randolph went to the other end of the floor and Quinn Pence hit a 3-pointer to make it 43-42 in favor of the Bears.

“We let her have a lot of freedom with the ball and tell her to make a good decision,” Pihlblad said of Pence. “If she scores 20 a game that’s great, if she has 10 assists and scores 10, that’s what we need her to do.”

Trocki and Pence traded 3-pointers to make it 46-45 and it remained a one-point game until Ava Jimerson made a free throw with 22.7 seconds remaining to give Frewsburg a 47-45 lead.

Randolph’s Quinn Pence floats up a shot. Photo courtesy of Steve Garvey

“We had Ava get injured there for a few minutes. … Jadyn, her heart was racing and had to step out for a few minutes,” Beaver said. ” … Our bench was awesome. … I’m super proud of them and their composure.”

After a rebound and a timeout, the Cardinals inbounded on the sideline in front of their bench. Pence eventually found Sadie Steward open in the corner and the senior calmly drove into the teeth of the Bears’ defense before scoring the tying bucket with 7.6 seconds remaining.

“That play kind of broke down, Sadie made a great play and tied it up,” Pihlblad said. “We just needed to get a stop there at the end to hopefully send it to overtime and we didn’t.”

After a timeout and an inbounds in front of its bench, Frewsburg found Abery Harvey at the top of the key. Harvey swung the ball to Trocki, who used a screen to drive the lane and scored with her right hand to make it 49-47.

“Jadyn is obviously strong at penetrating to the basket. We drew up a play to get her a screen. We told her if she had a window to take it, and she did,” Beaver said. “Last year, she missed a game-tying basket. I couldn’t be more happy for her to have that bucket and to feel that success. Hopefully it carries her forward.”

After another timeout, Randolph elected to inbound the ball opposite its bench. Pence found Skylar Herington along the sideline, but with Harvey in her face, the Cardinals’ sophomore leading scorer had to take a dribble to get open and by that time her desperation shot came after the final buzzer.

“Abery is athletic. I knew if we were jump-switching, she would be able for 1.3 seconds to at least make her shoot over top of her,” Beaver said. “She did exactly what we asked of her.”

“We got the look we were hoping for. We trust Skylar,” Pihlblad said of the final play. “There was a little hesitation maybe. If she makes it, great, but it is what it is.”

Monday’s victory has the teams tied atop Division 3. The Bears have one league game remaining Thursday at Portville, while Randolph travels to Cassadaga Valley on Thursday and hosts Gowanda next Monday. If the Class C seedings remain the same as they are now and the teams both win their opening playoff games, a rematch between the teams would come in the Section VI Class C semifinals Wednesday, March 5 at Jamestown Community College.

“We’ll probably play them in the semis, and that’s unfortunate,” Pihlblad said. “We knew from the beginning of the season it would probably be us and Frewsburg. Whoever wins that third game, that’s the most important one.”

NOTES: Jady Trocki had 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists; Ava Jimerson had 10 points; Harvey had 9 points and six rebounds; Teghan Trocki had eight rebounds; and Taytum Jimerson had four assists and two steals for Frewsburg, which shot 18 of 47 from the field, including 5 of 16 from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 16 times. … Herington had 19 points and six steals; Pence had 13 points and four steals; Payton Morrison had six rebounds and five steals; Steward had five rebounds and five assists; and Ryanne Bushey had five rebounds for Randolph, which shot 15 of 47 from the field, including 7 of 28 from 3-point range, and turned the ball over nine times.

RANDOLPH (47)

Hind 0 0 0, Bowles 0 0 0, Pence 5 0 13, Herington 6 4 19, Bushey 1 0 2, Steward 2 3 7, Morrison 1 3 6. Totals 15 10 47.

FREWSBURG (49)

JTrocki 7 1 17, TTrocki 2 1 7, JJimerson 0 0 0, TJimerson 2 0 5, Cappa 0 1 1, Harvey 3 3 9, AJimerson 4 2 10. Totals 18 8 49.

3-point goals–Pence 3, Herington 3, Morrison, JTrocki 2, TJimerson.

Randolph 11 9 17 10 — 47

Frewsburg 9 10 16 14 — 49