Huskies outlast Jay Co.

ARCADIA — Cassie Petro only attempted two shots in the first three quarters. In the fourth, she had two big baskets and converted an extra point to keep the Patriots hopes alive.

With two minutes remaining, the Patriots couldn’t find the basket they needed to make it a one-possession game and the Huskies knocked down their free throws.

The  Class 3A No. 4 Hamilton Heights Huskies knocked down eight free throws to ice away the No. 8 Jay County High School girls basketball team in a 53-41 loss for the Patriots on Saturday.

The Huskies (4-1) hold a 6-0 record against Jay County (1-1) all time, including knocking out the Patriots in the past three sectional tournaments.

“I just felt like when there was a time we needed a bucket, we didn't always get it,” Jay County coach Sherri McIntire said. “We’d miss a bunny shot. … We were within four, called a timeout, and set up a play. We could have easily got it within two, but we didn't, you know, so that was disappointing.”

Petro provided life in the fourth quarter. The first bucket came off an assist from Sophie Saxman, on a layup and fought through contact from Ella Hickok for a chance at a three-point play. The junior sank the free throw to make it a 41-37 game in favor of Hamilton Heights.

Camryn Runner hit a pair of free throws to extend the lead to six before Jay County called a timeout with 3:19 left. Out of the timeout, Petro had the ball on the left block and cut things back down to four after missing a bunny, getting her own rebound and putting it back in.

“Cassie Petro did a good job coming off the bench,” McIntire said. “Those points were huge. 

“She finished the game for us. People get caught up on who starts the game, but it's who finishes the game. Usually when it's a tight game, you got the people in there that you're confident in. And I hope Cassie takes that and runs with it.”

The Huskies finished the game on a 10-2 run. Hamilton Heights hit the bonus with under two minutes left, and knocked down every shot from the stripe to ice the game away.

Hamilton Heights hit six threes in the first half to build a 13 point lead.

Its largest run started at the end of the first quarter into the second with a three corner three from Hickok. To begin the second, Hickok and runner hit a pair of threes in the weakside corner as the Huskies’ wings set screens on the elbow defenders to get off clean looks when the ball was swung from the opposite side.

“They were trying to screen us off on the backside,” Patriot guard Breanna Dirksen said. “Getting around that screen was pretty difficult, but we were trying our best.”

The run was capped off with a fastbreak layup by Runner that broke the school record in career points at 1,341. Runner was nearly perfect from the field, shooting 5-6 with three threes and knocked down four free throws to tally 17 points, setting the new mark at 1,346.

She scored two more points off of an offensive rebound but was forced out of the game after picking up four fouls in the quarter. Runner was confined to the bench in the third as well. The Patriots outscored the Huskies 11-7 while she was out.

“For all the great things that Camryn does, when you get that third, you can't even put yourself in position to allow them to make a call,” Hamilton Heights coach Keegan Cherry said. “But that girl only knows one way so it's hard to turn it off for her.

“Playing without Camryn is obviously to the other team's advantage. She's a big part of what we do and not having her on the floor with us is concerning. But I was proud of the girls that played that third quarter. We won the quarter without Camryn.”

Hallie Schwieterman floats up for a layup during the third quarter of Jay County’s 53-41 loss to Hamilton Heights on Saturday. (The Commercial Review/Andrew Balko)

 

Hickok was the only other Husky to break double digits with 15 points. Both Molly Muhlenkamp and Hallie Schwieterman led Jay County with 10 points while Petro was next in line with seven and Dirksen had six. Dirksen also acted as a distributor, dishing out a game-high five assists.

“Ball movement is key in the game,” Dirksen said. “I like to work off fast breaks so I always try to get down court and ahead of them.”

Despite scoring 10 first-quarter points, the Patriots got off to a slow start committing seven turnovers in the first period. The first quarter had the largest scoring margin with Hamilton Heights putting up five more points.

“We obviously didn't get off to the kind of start that we wanted to,” McIntire said. “Sometimes I feel like we come in or are too tight. And we don't always come in relaxed. I think if we come in and be relaxed we might get a different turnout.

“Overall, happy with our effort. You know, I felt like our girls played hard.”

Junior varsity

The Jay County junior varsity girls basketball team couldn’t keep up with Hamilton Heights in a 35-8 beating in a game that lasted three quarters.

Alexis Sibray had six points for the Patriots (1-1) while Raylah Newton had the other two.

The Patriots will be back in action today against Oak Hill.