Belt, Padilla provide huge plays as Lady Longhorns reach regional final

Emerson Belt scored 20 points and Valeria Padilla had the game-winning steal and bucket as Dover stunned Mulhall-Orlando 42-40 Tuesday in a Class B-II regional semifinal.

The win advances Dover to the regional championship game. The Lady Longhorns host No. 1 Lomega at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Dover let a 14-point lead all but slip away in the third quarter when M-O went on a 22-9 run.

The Lady Panthers were up two late when Belt scored to tie the game at 36-36 with 2:15 to play. She scored again 20 seconds later to put Dover up 38-36.

But M-O got a banked-in 3-pointer and, after Dover failed to convert, added a free throw with 52 seconds left to go up 40-38.

Belt was fouled with 26.3 seconds left and made both free throws to tie the game.

But the play proved to be crucial in more ways than just allowing Dover to tie the score.

The foul was the fifth on Mulhall-Orlando’s Lauren Stinchcomb and she was the third Lady Panther to foul out in the contest.

M-O had seven suited up players in the game meaning it had to play the final 26 seconds with four players on the floor.

And that’s when Padilla struck.

She swiped the ball from Emerson Pool who was attempting to penetrate on the offensive end.

Padilla raced down to score the contested go-ahead layup with 15 seconds left.

As M-O tried to answer, Padilla then stole a pass by Pool just across mid-court. Though she missed the layup, time expired before anyone could grab a rebound.

Padilla finished the game with 5 points.

Belt scored 8 in the first half and Presley Squires 6 as Dover built up a 24-10 lead.

M-O answered in the third as Stinchcomb made two 3-pointers and Alison Cook scored 8 points during the third-quarter run.

Cook and another starter fouled out prior to Stinchcomb in the fourth quarter.

Dover entered the playoffs with just six wins, but now will advance to the area tournament regardless of Saturday’s outcome.