February 4, 2023 at 5:44 a.m.
Triple knock out
Hamilton Heights uses 3-point shooting prowess to eliminate Class 3A No. 2 Patriots from sectional for third year in a row
Triple knock out
Over the last month, the Patriots had beaten every team they played by at least 25 points.
Their overall winning streak was 22 games, with the closest of those a nine-point win over No. 10 Bellmont.
When they found themselves down by double digits in the first quarter to the only team that had beaten them all year, they simply could not recover.
The host Hamilton Heights Huskies played a nearly flawless first 12 minutes, rolling out to a 24-6 lead as they sent the Class 3A No. 2 Jay County High School girls basketball team home for the season for the third year in a row. The Patriots got within eight early in the second half of the Sectional 24 semifinal game, but no closer, in a 58-47 loss that ended one of the most successful seasons in the history of the program.
“We were confused defensively,” said JCHS coach Kirk Comer. “We were not switching on screens. The game plan that we had, not letting them have open looks — they had open looks and they knocked them down. And we didn’t match that.
“They came out and hit us in the gut. We didn’t hit them back.”
The Huskies (18-5), who finished 11th in the final Class 3A poll voting of the season, advance to tonight’s sectional championship game. They will play Yorktown (11-11), which topped Frankton 43-35 in Friday’s second semifinal. The winner will move on to a one-game regional Feb. 11 at Bellmont against the winner of the Sectional 23 tournament hosted by Norwell.
Jay County had just one lead Friday — 2-0.
The Huskies quickly erased it with the first of their 13 makes from long distance. They continued to bury 3-pointer after 3-pointer, pushing to a 15-4 advantage on junior Camryn Runner’s second triple at the 2:14 mark of the opening period.
Gabi Bilbrey — she finished with a game-high 26 points to give the Patriots a chance — scored the first points of the second period to close the gap back to single digits. But Hamilton Heights responded with consecutive 3-pointers from Kaylee Rhoton, Ella Hickok and Runner for their 18-point lead.
The Huskies shot 9-of-17 from 3-point range in the first half — they attempted just one shot from inside the arc — and finished the game 13-of-26 (50%) from long distance.
“I see them do it every day,” said Hamilton Heights coach Keegan Cherry, whose team beat JCHS 46-42 in the 2021 sectional final and 36-33 in the opening round of the tournament last season. “We shoot a lot in practice. I expect them to make it. … When they shoot it, I’m shocked when it doesn’t go in.”
With the Huskies holding the ball to run the clock at the start of the second half, it looked as if Jay County might have a chance to make a run. A turnover led to a Bilbrey layup and a pair of Sophie Saxman free throws closed the gap to eight with 4:41 on the clock.
Two-time defending champion Hamilton Heights, though, responded, with Katie Brown hitting a 3-pointer and Hickok scoring off of a steal.
That remained the pattern the rest of the way, with the Huskies responding when JCHS seemed ready to build a little momentum.
“When you get down that far against this team, it’s really hard to come back because they spread it out,” said Comer. “They’re so good at that. … They can handle the ball really well. It’s hard to double.”
Hickok’s 18 points, including five 3-pointers, led Hamilton Heights. Runner and Brown each hit three triples as they followed with 15 apiece.
Bilbrey shot 9-of-12 from the field and 8-of-11 at the line for her 26 points. But no other Patriot reached double figures.
Schwieterman, who entered the game averaging 21.8 points, was limited to just eight of 3-of-12 shooting from the field as Hickok hounded her all night long. Her career came to a close when she fouled out with 2:14 left when she was called for a charge.
Though the Patriots knew Hamilton Heights was the hurdle they would need to clear in order to achieve their goals, the loss still marked what seemed a too-early end to a year that saw them set new school records for wins in a season (23) and longest winning streak (22), Schwieterman become the leading scorer in the history of the program and county, and Comer surpass the 400-win mark.
“We thought we could make a run in the tournament, but we also knew that we could get beat tonight,” said Comer. “All’s you want is a chance. We had a chance.
“To be honest, we didn’t get the job done. They stepped up and we didn’t. They’re moving on and we’re not.”
Their overall winning streak was 22 games, with the closest of those a nine-point win over No. 10 Bellmont.
When they found themselves down by double digits in the first quarter to the only team that had beaten them all year, they simply could not recover.
The host Hamilton Heights Huskies played a nearly flawless first 12 minutes, rolling out to a 24-6 lead as they sent the Class 3A No. 2 Jay County High School girls basketball team home for the season for the third year in a row. The Patriots got within eight early in the second half of the Sectional 24 semifinal game, but no closer, in a 58-47 loss that ended one of the most successful seasons in the history of the program.
“We were confused defensively,” said JCHS coach Kirk Comer. “We were not switching on screens. The game plan that we had, not letting them have open looks — they had open looks and they knocked them down. And we didn’t match that.
“They came out and hit us in the gut. We didn’t hit them back.”
The Huskies (18-5), who finished 11th in the final Class 3A poll voting of the season, advance to tonight’s sectional championship game. They will play Yorktown (11-11), which topped Frankton 43-35 in Friday’s second semifinal. The winner will move on to a one-game regional Feb. 11 at Bellmont against the winner of the Sectional 23 tournament hosted by Norwell.
Jay County had just one lead Friday — 2-0.
The Huskies quickly erased it with the first of their 13 makes from long distance. They continued to bury 3-pointer after 3-pointer, pushing to a 15-4 advantage on junior Camryn Runner’s second triple at the 2:14 mark of the opening period.
Gabi Bilbrey — she finished with a game-high 26 points to give the Patriots a chance — scored the first points of the second period to close the gap back to single digits. But Hamilton Heights responded with consecutive 3-pointers from Kaylee Rhoton, Ella Hickok and Runner for their 18-point lead.
The Huskies shot 9-of-17 from 3-point range in the first half — they attempted just one shot from inside the arc — and finished the game 13-of-26 (50%) from long distance.
“I see them do it every day,” said Hamilton Heights coach Keegan Cherry, whose team beat JCHS 46-42 in the 2021 sectional final and 36-33 in the opening round of the tournament last season. “We shoot a lot in practice. I expect them to make it. … When they shoot it, I’m shocked when it doesn’t go in.”
With the Huskies holding the ball to run the clock at the start of the second half, it looked as if Jay County might have a chance to make a run. A turnover led to a Bilbrey layup and a pair of Sophie Saxman free throws closed the gap to eight with 4:41 on the clock.
Two-time defending champion Hamilton Heights, though, responded, with Katie Brown hitting a 3-pointer and Hickok scoring off of a steal.
That remained the pattern the rest of the way, with the Huskies responding when JCHS seemed ready to build a little momentum.
“When you get down that far against this team, it’s really hard to come back because they spread it out,” said Comer. “They’re so good at that. … They can handle the ball really well. It’s hard to double.”
Hickok’s 18 points, including five 3-pointers, led Hamilton Heights. Runner and Brown each hit three triples as they followed with 15 apiece.
Bilbrey shot 9-of-12 from the field and 8-of-11 at the line for her 26 points. But no other Patriot reached double figures.
Schwieterman, who entered the game averaging 21.8 points, was limited to just eight of 3-of-12 shooting from the field as Hickok hounded her all night long. Her career came to a close when she fouled out with 2:14 left when she was called for a charge.
Though the Patriots knew Hamilton Heights was the hurdle they would need to clear in order to achieve their goals, the loss still marked what seemed a too-early end to a year that saw them set new school records for wins in a season (23) and longest winning streak (22), Schwieterman become the leading scorer in the history of the program and county, and Comer surpass the 400-win mark.
“We thought we could make a run in the tournament, but we also knew that we could get beat tonight,” said Comer. “All’s you want is a chance. We had a chance.
“To be honest, we didn’t get the job done. They stepped up and we didn’t. They’re moving on and we’re not.”
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