EBEN JUNCTION — Sophomore Peyton Adams came through in the clutch here Thursday night as the Superior Central girls escaped with a 30-27 basketball triumph over Powers North Central.

Adams drained a 21-foot jump shot from the right wing, enabling the Cougars to improve to 8-5. The Jets dropped to 0-11.

“We were thankful her shot went through,” Cougars’ eight-grader Aubri Kroupa said. “We’re happy about that. I played about 8-10 minutes tonight, maybe a little more and got a couple fouls. I have a lot of learning to do. We had beaten them before (39-33 on Jan. 10). I think we may have been a little too confident at first.”

North Central junior Dalyn Otradovec tied the contest at 27 with a pair of free throws with 58.7 seconds remaining, setting the stage for Adams’ game-winning shot.

“The girls kept fighting to the end,” Jets’ coach Brooke Granquist said. “That’s all I can ask of them. It will be good to be playing at home next week.”

North Central hosts Carney-Nadeau Tuesday. The Cougars travel to Felch North Dickinson Monday.

The Jets led 17-16 after the third quarter before Adams hit a 20-foot jumper from the right wing to give Superior Central a 19-17 lead early in the fourth.

North Central went ahead 23-22 on a layup by Otradovec before the Cougars answered on a bucket of their own.

The Jets regained the lead at 25-24 on a putback by freshman Natalie Willa with 4:49 remaining

Superior Central, however, took the lead back at 27-25 on a 21-foot set shot by junior Addie Frusti with 2:30 left in the contest.

North Central had a promising start. Freshman Addie Otradovec converted a trio of 3-point shots, helping the Jets take an 11-2 lead after the first quarter.

“We were doing some good things, all the things we were talking about,” Granquist said. “We shot and moved the ball well and rebounded well. They were leaving Addie open and Superior Central didn’t adjust to it at first. Addie kept shooting and then they changed from a zone to a man-to-man (defense).”

Addie Otradovec finished with 13 points and Dalyn Otradovec scored nine.

Adams led the Cougars with 12 points on four 3-point shots, including a 20-foot jumper from the right wing to bring them within 17-16 late in the third stanza. Senior Sammy Johnson tallied nine points.

Box score

North Central 11 3 3 10 — 27

Superior Central 2 6 8 14 — 30

Powers North Central — Linder 2, A. Otradovec 13, D. Otradovec 9, Willa 6. FT: 8-15; F: 8; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: A. Otradovec 3

Superior Central — Hancock 3, Strohm 3, Johnson 9, Adams 12, Frusti 3. FT: 1-4; F: 12; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Adams 4, Strohm, Frusti