PEARCY -- In at game where both teams combined for 13 points in the first quarter, Lake Hamilton managed to come out on top as the Lady Wolves held on for a 51-49 win over Star City Friday night at Wolf Arena.
"I don't really know what to say," said Lake Hamilton head coach Blake Condley. "I felt like we were kind of doing some things different because of their speed. I think it got our girls playing on their heels a little too much -- got us in foul trouble, got us in the wrong place -- getting them to understand, to make the adjustments but still be aggressive.
"You still have to guard. Just because we're trying to give them a little space. I think maybe that had a little bit to do with it. It just took us a little while to get settled in. I think Star City had something to do with that, too, with their speed and athleticism. It just made things difficult."
With the score tied at 28-28 at the end of the third quarter, Star City (9-2) took the early lead with a trey by Anna Wynn just 10 seconds into the final period. By the time 1:50 had ticked off the clock, Lake Hamilton had regained the lead, 32-31, stretching to a 39-32 lead by the 3:28 mark.
Lake Hamilton stretched out to a 47-39 lead with 50.8 seconds left in the game, but the Lady Bulldogs closed out the period on a 10-4 run to set the final.
"Sloppy -- it was just a sloppy ballgame all around," said Star City head coach Becky Brown. "We missed a lot of layups on both ends.
"I know we missed 10 free throws. I think shooting was just terrible tonight. It seemed like there was just a lid over the goals in the first half."
Following the game, former Lady Wolves and Lady Wolves coaches were recognized. Players and coaches from as far back as the 1950s took to the court as they were honored.
Tia Mullenix got the Lady Wolves on the scoreboard first, but neither team found a way to get the ball through the hoop until the 5:30 mark as Mullenix sank a pair of free throws. Jenny Peake made it 3-0 just 28 seconds later, but it was not until the 2:53 mark that points were made from the floor when Star City's Bre'anna Grayson made it on a putback.
Just three shots were made from the floor in the opening eight minutes. The Lady Wolves making just one shot to the Lady Bulldogs' two for a 7-6 Lake Hamilton lead.
Both teams improved their shooting in the second frame, adding 12 points apiece as Lake Hamilton held on for the 19-18 halftime lead. The Lady Wolves hit 66 percent from distance in the first half compared to Star City's 0-for-7 3-point shooting.
"We can do that," Condley said. "We have multiple players that can. Aspen (Thornton) has been consistent all year. She's been making some.
"Jenny has it in her. It's just been laying dormant. We've been really on her, trying to get her to come on and to help. Nya (Moody) and Tia have both shot well the last couple of games, but they didn't really get many looks tonight."
Peake led the Lady Wolves with 15 points on the night, including a pair of treys, with three rebounds. Thornton had 13 points with four rebounds and two steals, and Moody finished with 11 points, all in the second half, five rebounds and four assists.
Janiya Johnson paced the Lady Bulldogs with 28 points with five rebounds, three steals and two assists. Wynn finished with nine points, four rebounds and two steals.
"We count on her a lot," Brown said of Johnson. "She's a good athlete, good player. She knows the game well."
Lake Hamilton hit the boards well, especially in the fourth quarter where it pulled down seven of its 26 rebounds, while the Lady Bulldogs had 23 rebounds on the night.
"That's been a point of emphasis," Condley said. "I feel like we're not where I'd like to be, but we don't really want to peak until we get to the right time of season.
"A lot of those little things, the fundamental stuff, the crashing the boards or blocking out, we've really been trying to focus on those. Trying to get the team to rebound as opposed to just one or two girls. We've had a couple been really consistent in their rebounding, but we need the team to be consistent in their rebounding."
Lake Hamilton will be on a break until after Christmas when it faces Centerpoint (2-4) on Dec. 27 in the Kameron Hale Invitational tournament at Wolf Arena.
Sports on 12/16/2018