Paper Valley 141, Rockford 137 — Although Paper Valley Roller Girls Flyin’ Squirrels trailed host Rockford for a full 61 minutes, Amy Grindhouse’s third power jam pass a full minute after regulation time completed an improbable 141-137 comeback win for the visitors at Rockford’s Wedgbury Indoor Sports Center.
Paper Valley only managed 12 points in the game’s first 15 minutes, while Rockford scored on almost every jam, eventually building the lead to the night’s largest gap, 60-22. A 13 point jam from PVRG’s T-Racer and 12 more from Blazin’ Britches closed the score at halftime to 78-57, Rockford.
Rockford was plagued by penalties throughout the second half, but the hosts limited the damage while maintaining a 20-point lead. Jammer penalties on both sides resulted in four two-minute jams, and the half would have moved quickly if the penalty situation hadn’t warranted numerous official time outs.
A five-on-two power jam for Paper Valley at ten minutes to go brought them within one, 113-112. An illegal procedure major on PVRG’s Amy Grindhouse for not having her mouth guard in on the line resulted in a power jam for Rockford’s Barbie Got Back, who laid down 10 for a 133-115 cushion with just two and half minutes left.
Back-to-back Rockford jammer penalties followed, with Cyanide Ride scoring 11, and Amy Grindhouse benefitting from an eventual five-on-two advantage after regulation for three scoring passes, the last with just 20 seconds on the jam clock. Paper Valley ended the game with a 26-0 run, and led for the first and only time as Grindhouse called the jam, 141-137.
Blazin’ Britches led Paper Valley’s scoring with 45 points, while Cyanide Ride and Amy Grindhouse each had 33. Sinful Sally was top scorer for Rockford with 43 points, followed by Barbie Got Back with 38. — Geoffrey Saucer