Taylor Sanders scored nine points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Burgin and made a key defensive play to start the decisive run. Randi Burke scored seven of her 11 points in the fourth quarter and added seven boards, and Lindsey Monson scored 10 points.
Coleman said Underwood’s third foul was the turning point in the game.
“She was working her butt off and was getting chased. And she may have charged, but that was after three or four grabs,” she said. “They just wouldn’t get off of her. And she was going so hard that things like that happen. Emily Underwood is one of the best players I’ve seen. And she had two and three players grabbing on her jersey, and she just played her heart out.”
Sanders then hit a free throw and scored inside, then East Jessamine turned the ball over on the press, which Liz Marcinek turned into a layup with a minute left in the quarter to make it 30-all.
Underwood picked up her fourth foul on another charge with 35.7 seconds left in the period as the teams went to the fourth quarter still tied.
But Burgin took control early, getting layups from Monson and Burke in the first 90 seconds of the quarter for a 34-30 lead.
Burke later converted a Monson offensive rebound into a bucket, then Burke scored on a putback off a missed free throw by Summer Burke to give the Bulldogs a 40-31 lead with 1:59 to go.
Coleman said her team did not know how to react to the Bulldogs’ spurt.
“When Burgin made their run, I don’t think the girls were ready for it,” she said. “Instead of sticking with the game plan that worked, we got a little nervous, and it was really hard.”
Madison Collins’ putback, the first East Jessamine field goal in 9 minutes, 57 seconds, made it a 40-33 game with 1:30 to play, and the Jaguars began their own comeback.
Summer Burke missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Underwood drained a three-pointer with 48 seconds to go. After a Burgin turnover, Carlie Harrison drilled another trey to make it 41-39 with 36 seconds left.
After Monson hit one of two free throws with 28 seconds left, Underwood was fouled by Liz Marcinek on a three-point attempt with 23.9 seconds to go. But Underwood, who scored 13 points, could make just one of three free throws, and Burgin went 2-of-4 at the line from there to seal the win.
Burgin finished 16-of-48 from the floor and 9-of-20 at the line. The Bulldogs were outrebounded 31-28 and 13-12 on the offensive boards, which Myers said was a result of focusing too much on Underwood early.
The Jaguars finished 15-of-44 and hit 7-of-19 at the line.
They led 13-12 after the first quarter and led 18-16 before ripping off seven straight on a putback from Mason, a layup from Collins and three-pointer from Underwood off of Burgin turnovers to lead 25-16 with two minutes left in the half and took a 26-18 lead at the half.
East led 28-18 on Mason’s jumper to open the third quarter, but Randi Burke hit a three-pointer and Monson scored to make it 30-23 with 3:27 left in the quarter.
