The Harrisburg girls outscored Class 4 Boonville 22-7 in the fourth quarter for a dramatic come-from-behind victory Tuesday night on the road.

Senior Carli Ellis and junior Abby Rosson each finished with a double-double to lead the Lady Bulldogs to the historic win.

“A win like this against a team of their quality and on the road with one of the best environments is something that makes our team believe even more in what we are doing,” said Harrisburg coach Ryan Richardson. “It shows our team we are a complete team, and every single player knows they have a role in what we are doing. Knowing you have that is a great foundation for success.”

Harrisburg jumped ahead, leading 17-13 after one quarter, but fell behind at halftime 32-27. Heading into the fourth quarter down by 10, the Lady Bulldogs put everything together in the final eight minutes to pull off the win against a school three class sizes larger.

“I just asked our team to empty the tanks. We have a few days off after this game. No reason to go the locker room with any regret,” Richardson said. “Leave it all on the court, play with no fear, and just see what we are capable of.”

Harrisburg finished with three players in double figures. Ellis led all scorers with 18 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Rosson finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

“Carli and Abby’s performances tonight were special. I have no other word other than ‘special.’ I’m just so proud of them,” Richardson said.

Also in double figures for Harrisburg was sophomore Macie Ellis, with 12 to go along with two steals. Senior point guard Brecca Thornhill finished with eight points and a game-high six steals. Junior Emma Fischer rounded out the Bulldogs’ scorers with seven.

For Boonville, junior Zoe Davis finished with 13 points, and freshman Isabella Imhoff had 11.

Harrisburg controlled the boards on both ends, outrebounding the Lady Pirates 43-34, including 18 on the offensive glass. The Lady Bulldogs also made free throws when it counted. They finished 21-for-32 from the charity stripe, led by Carli Ellis, who made nine of 12 from the stripe. Boonville converted just five times on 15 chances.

“Our team really showed some grit and IQ,” said Richardson. “We were able to make adjustments on the fly to help keep some of their players from getting comfortable while on the other end of the floor, figuring out the gaps and where we could attack their game plan on us. It was a great chess match between two solid teams with some incredible players.”

Harrisburg now opens the season 2-0 after trouncing New Bloomfield in the first game of the year, 59-19. Richardson said the mindset heading into Tuesday’s game was to see how his team measured up against a much larger opponent. “We needed an early season test, and we knew we would get it. We were motivated to prove where we are as a program.”

The Lady Bulldogs are scheduled for another early-season test on Tuesday when they take their high-pressure game to Columbia to face Class 3 Father Tolton Regional Catholic. They play their home opener at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 2, against Sturgeon.