ATTICA — Seneca East and Hopewell-Loudon battled through a defensive struggle for three periods, but, with the game on the line, the Chieftains went to the best player on the floor.

MaKenna Elmore, a 6-foot-3 senior who committed to Clemson for next season, struggled with just 12 points entering the final frame. But she scored 18 points in the fourth period and two overtimes to finish with 30 as the Chieftains edged the Tigers, 60-53, in a double-overtime thriller Friday night.

Elmore was the focus of the Seneca East defense, and the Tigers put four different players on her throughout the game, doubling her on many occasions.

The plan worked to perfection, as Elmore had to work for her 30 points.

“That’s what we tried to say before the game,” Seneca East coach Don Vogt said. “You don’t want to give anyone anything easy. But she’s a good player and she did a good job, particularly down low.

“We tried four different defenders on her. She still got 30.”

Hopewell-Loudon coach Bob Gase said that Elmore was the difference late.

“She stepped up and took charge,” Gase said. “She did a great job.

“I knew it was going to be a good game,” Gase added. “I didn’t think it would be quite this physical. Realistically, it was just a physical game.

Three Seneca East players fouled out in the two overtimes and Elmore had her way with the Tigers from that point.

“We had a lot of people on the bench with fouls,” Vogt said. “The players that were out there gave everything they had and did exactly what they were supposed to do. We were just a little shorthanded. It’s just the way it was.”

All-Ohioan Jessica Bowerman scored 14 points and Brooke Bordner added 13 as the Tigers held a 16-10 lead after one and a 27-19 lead at the break.

The Chieftains cut the lead to 32-31 after three periods.

Seneca East led 40-39 with 1:58 left in the game before Hopewell took a 42-40 lead with 34 seconds left. With 25 seconds remaining, Bowerman drove the lane and knocked down a six-footer to send the game into overtime.

Amelia Boes hit two free throws with 2:10 left in the first extra period to give the Tigers a 45-44 lead. But the Chieftains grabbed a 51-48 lead with 10 seconds left in the game on an Elmore free throw.

From there, Boes hit a long 3-pointer from the right corner with no time left to send the game into the second overtime.

“It was nice,” Vogt said of the shot. “Something she was working on. Some over the summer and fall and even now. She is trying to develop some outside shooting. She struggled with it early on in the game so that was a good confidence booster.”

Down three players in the second overtime, the Tigers managed just two points.

“Everyone would be a little bit depleted when you take out that kind of firepower from a starting lineup,” Vogt said.

“That was a heated battle,” Gase said. “It was both ways, I mean.”

Olivia Zender backed up Elmore with 15 points for Hopewell-Loudon.

In the junior varsity game, Hopewell-Loudon won, 36-20. Anna Daniel scored nine for the Chieftains and Caroline Kagy finished with six for the Tigers.

Box score

Hopewell-Loudon 60, Seneca East 53 (2OT)

Hopewell-Loudon   10     9   12     11    9     9 — 60

Seneca East               16   11    5   10     9     2 — 53

Hopewell-Loudon (1-0): Shots 18-54; 3-pt. shots 4 (MaKenna Elmore 2, Olivia Zender, Abbe Beidelschies); Free throws 16-28; Rebounds 42; Turnovers 31. Scoring: Olivia Zender 5 4 15, McKenna Elmore 10 8 30, Hope Kreais 2 2 6, Abbe Beidelschies 1 1 4, Carley 2 1 5.

Seneca East (0-1): Shots 20-56; 3-pt. shots 3 (Makenna Depinet 2, Jessica Bowerman); Free throws 9-17; Rebounds 43; Turnovers 39. Scoring: Mya Ousley 2 0 4, Jessica Bowerman 5 3 14, Brooke Bordner 5 3 13, Makenna Depinet 3 1 9, Kirsten Cook 1 0 2, Alli King 1 0 2, Amelia Boes 3 3 9.

JV: Hopewell-Loudon 36-20.