Hillsboro earns rare season sweep over rival McClain
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
HILLSBORO — With the two Highland County rivals allowed to play a more physical style of basketball on Wednesday night, the Hillsboro Lady Indians and the McClain Lady Tigers got the best out of each other in an intense battle that left the host Lady Indians standing with a 49-39 victory over their conference and county counterpart McClain, plus having a season sweep over MHS for the first time in roughly two decades.
Though seniors on McClain were given flowers by fellow HHS seniors before the game to celebrate senior night, once the ball was tipped, the pleasantries were in the rearview mirror and there was a ball game to be played and a battle to be had.
It was McClain (4-6, 8-12) starting off with a 9-0 run to open the game, scoring those points with 4:43 left on the clock in the first quarter. Madi Sykes, Iva Easter, Payton Pryor and Evelyn Vanzant all combined for the nine points at the start of the Frontier Athletic Conference contest, including a 3-pointer by Pryor at the 5:11 mark as she totaled eight points in the game.
Hillsboro called a timeout after the points scored by Vanzant, and at the 4:18 mark it was the Lady Indians getting on the board with a basket by Blake Herdman. She followed that with a put-back bucket with 3:39 on the clock for a 9-4 score.
The first quarter continued with MHS leading 15-7 as the clock hit all zeroes with Easter — who led McClain with 10 points in the game — scoring three more points, and Lily Barnes also adding three points in the frame for McClain. HHS had a 3-pointer by Gracie Dean in the third to complete their scoring in the quarter, as the Lady Tigers held an eight-point lead.
“The kids were just ready,” McClain head coach Jarrod Haines said of the Lady Tigers’ first quarter. “We were dialed into the game plan, I thought they came out and did a great job. They've been up for this. We kind of thought we let [their first game] slip through our hands at home, getting down and digging a hole like we did. So we wanted to come out and get off to a better start, and we definitely did that.
“I just think the problem was there in the heart of the game in the third and fourth quarter, it was way too physical for us.”
Haines continued to talk about the first frame at HHS.
“In the first quarter, you know, we were getting to the free-throw line, and in the second half, they had one foul,” he said. “When it's that physical and we can't get to the free-throw line, we're going to struggle a little bit, but I thought for the most part, my kids kept their cool.
“That's all I really asked of them. The whistle blows, you’re done with this extra stuff. I thought they did a really good job of that. They showed a lot of growth there, but you know, the name of the game is you got to put the ball in the hole, and we had open shots and just didn't knock them down. Like I said, under the basket was really, really physical.”
Hillsboro began their rally to take the lead in the second quarter, and once the dust was settled from the battle on the court, they held a 21-20 advantage at halftime, outgaining the Lady Tigers 14-5 in the frame.
Hillsboro opened the second frame with a basket by Dean, but MHS came back with a free throw from Jaden McCoy. As the game progressed McClain’s Pryor had a layup while being fouled, but Hillsboro saw Rylie Scott, Dean and Mya Bell all score consecutive baskets, cutting the MHS lead to three points at 18-15. Dean led Hillsboro with 17 points in the FAC victory.
McClain’s Barnes sank two free-throw shots with 4:06 left on the clock in the second as those points were the last points scored by McClain in the quarter. HHS scored the next seven points in the quarter, starting with a 3-pointer by Brynn Bledsoe with 3:03 on the clock, then teammate Bell made a free-throw, getting HHS to within a point of the Lady Tigers’ lead at 20-19.
The Lady Indians took the lead with 2:05 left in the quarter as Herdman went straight to the hoop for two points, making it a 21-20 score. Herdman totaled 16 points in the HHS win.
“They have confidence in what we're doing. I think they just came out a little nervous. It was a big-time atmosphere. I think this is probably one of the biggest atmospheres we’ve played in, in the last two seasons,” HHS head coach Chad Fields said. “You couldn't ask for anything more than what we had tonight.
“It was electric in the crowd. I think our nerves just got the best of us a little bit. We knew what they were going to throw at us, and once we just calmed down and settled down a little bit and got back into the flow of the game, I think the girls already started clicking and working together.”
The game started to get a little more emotional in the third frame, as very few fouls were called for either side in the frame, and the physicality of the play picked up from both teams. HHS outscored McClain 18-7 in the quarter, though the Lady Tigers held the lead in the third quarter on two occasions.
McClain took back the lead in the early stages of the third with a basket by Easter with an assist by Vanzant. Hillsboro battled back with two straight baskets from Eden Edenfield, putting HHS in front at 25-23 with 6:30 left on the clock.
McClain had an answer too, with a 3-pointer from the corner of the court by Vanzant (who totaled seven points for the Lady Tigers), and two points in the paint from Sykes, lifting the Lady Tigers back into the lead at 27-25.
Hillsboro scored the next 14 points to complete the quarter with a 12-point lead at 39-27.
The first five of those points came with two free throws by Dean, tying the score at 27, then she lifted Hillsboro in the top spot with a 3-pointer at the 2:51 mark for a 30-27 advantage. From this point on, the Lady Indians never lost the lead.
Following a jump ball as the two teams wrestled for possession of the basketball, Hillsboro reached the scoring column again with a basket by Herdman. The scoring run continued with Bledsoe taking the ball full-court to the hoop with 1:28 left in the frame.
HHS ended the fourth with a three-point play by Herdman, and then with less than a second on the scoreboard she knocked down two shots from the free-throw line for a 12-point Lady Indians lead.
“I told the girls at halftime, we can only control what we can control. The officials were letting us play ball. It was a tournament atmosphere-type game. They were letting us play ball, and I told them, we got to take care of business,” Fields said. “They’re being physical with us right now, and we've just got to give it right back to him and keep fighting. I think they did that they responded and answered the call. I couldn't be more proud of them.
“I’m just ecstatic right now. We knew it was going to be a war. You’ve got two rivals, and Coach Haines does a fantastic job. He's a very fiery coach. We knew he was going to have his girls ready to play, and boy, were they. They came out fired up and ready to go. You couldn't ask for a better ballgame, and I'm just glad that we were on the winning side of it.
“It wasn't easy, and I wasn't expecting it to be,” Fields continued. “I told the girls at halftime, they won the first quarter, we won the second quarter. Now it's time that we’ve got to go out and put two back-to-back quarters together and just finish strong, and I think we did a good job of that.”
McClain outscored Hillsboro 12-10 in the fourth frame, as the quarter included more intense play from both sides, though Hillsboro was charged with an intentional foul with 2:58 left in the game.
In the fourth frame for Hillsboro, Dean added five points, Bell made a free throw, Bledsoe made a free throw and Herdman scored three points.
MHS in the final quarter had two points each by Vanzant, Haylee Havens and Sykes, plus three points each from Pryor and Easter (who made a 3-pointer with 4:23 left in regulation).
“It's been a really fun season. If you judge this season, I'd say it's one of the more fun experiences I've had as a coach because it's a joy to go to work every day,” Haines said. “You know these kids are going to gut it out and do anything you say and work hard for you, and you see that on the floor.
“You’ve just got to make shots, and I thought our defense did a pretty good job for the most part. We just gave up too many second-chance opportunities in the first half and in the second half, and it seemed like when they needed a call or something to go their way, it went their way.
“The ball didn't really bounce in our favor like that. But I give my kids credit, man, they came here, they gutted it out, they played extremely hard on the road, and that's all we can ask.”
Other final scoring totals for McClain included McCoy (one point), Havens (two points), Barnes (five points) and Sykes (six points).
Other final sporting for Hillsboro included Bell (four points), Scott (two points), Edenfield (four points) and Bledsoe (six points).
The win moves HHS to a final regular-season record of 11-10 overall with a 6-4 record in the FAC. McClain wraps up the regular season at 8-12 overall and 4-6 in the FAC.
Fields spoke about his senior class as this was their final home game.
“I can't be more proud of these seniors. This group — from day one, when I met them last season — I knew they were going to be a special group. They work so hard, and the bonds that they've made, especially with our underclassmen — it's something that I'm so very proud to be a part of,” Fields said. “I just can't be happier for these girls. They’ve worked so hard the last two seasons. People have doubted them. I think we saw tonight with the crowd that people are finally seeing that all that hard work is paying off for them.”
HHS will play again in sectional tournament play on Monday, Feb. 14 at Unioto against the UHS Lady Shermans at 7 p.m.
MHS will also play in the sectional tournament on Monday, Feb. 14 at Vinton County High School as they will be facing the VCHS Lady Vikings at 7 p.m.
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Though seniors on McClain were given flowers by fellow HHS seniors before the game to celebrate senior night, once the ball was tipped, the pleasantries were in the rearview mirror and there was a ball game to be played and a battle to be had.
It was McClain (4-6, 8-12) starting off with a 9-0 run to open the game, scoring those points with 4:43 left on the clock in the first quarter. Madi Sykes, Iva Easter, Payton Pryor and Evelyn Vanzant all combined for the nine points at the start of the Frontier Athletic Conference contest, including a 3-pointer by Pryor at the 5:11 mark as she totaled eight points in the game.
Hillsboro called a timeout after the points scored by Vanzant, and at the 4:18 mark it was the Lady Indians getting on the board with a basket by Blake Herdman. She followed that with a put-back bucket with 3:39 on the clock for a 9-4 score.
The first quarter continued with MHS leading 15-7 as the clock hit all zeroes with Easter — who led McClain with 10 points in the game — scoring three more points, and Lily Barnes also adding three points in the frame for McClain. HHS had a 3-pointer by Gracie Dean in the third to complete their scoring in the quarter, as the Lady Tigers held an eight-point lead.
“The kids were just ready,” McClain head coach Jarrod Haines said of the Lady Tigers’ first quarter. “We were dialed into the game plan, I thought they came out and did a great job. They've been up for this. We kind of thought we let [their first game] slip through our hands at home, getting down and digging a hole like we did. So we wanted to come out and get off to a better start, and we definitely did that.
“I just think the problem was there in the heart of the game in the third and fourth quarter, it was way too physical for us.”
Haines continued to talk about the first frame at HHS.
“In the first quarter, you know, we were getting to the free-throw line, and in the second half, they had one foul,” he said. “When it's that physical and we can't get to the free-throw line, we're going to struggle a little bit, but I thought for the most part, my kids kept their cool.
“That's all I really asked of them. The whistle blows, you’re done with this extra stuff. I thought they did a really good job of that. They showed a lot of growth there, but you know, the name of the game is you got to put the ball in the hole, and we had open shots and just didn't knock them down. Like I said, under the basket was really, really physical.”
Hillsboro began their rally to take the lead in the second quarter, and once the dust was settled from the battle on the court, they held a 21-20 advantage at halftime, outgaining the Lady Tigers 14-5 in the frame.
Hillsboro opened the second frame with a basket by Dean, but MHS came back with a free throw from Jaden McCoy. As the game progressed McClain’s Pryor had a layup while being fouled, but Hillsboro saw Rylie Scott, Dean and Mya Bell all score consecutive baskets, cutting the MHS lead to three points at 18-15. Dean led Hillsboro with 17 points in the FAC victory.
McClain’s Barnes sank two free-throw shots with 4:06 left on the clock in the second as those points were the last points scored by McClain in the quarter. HHS scored the next seven points in the quarter, starting with a 3-pointer by Brynn Bledsoe with 3:03 on the clock, then teammate Bell made a free-throw, getting HHS to within a point of the Lady Tigers’ lead at 20-19.
The Lady Indians took the lead with 2:05 left in the quarter as Herdman went straight to the hoop for two points, making it a 21-20 score. Herdman totaled 16 points in the HHS win.
“They have confidence in what we're doing. I think they just came out a little nervous. It was a big-time atmosphere. I think this is probably one of the biggest atmospheres we’ve played in, in the last two seasons,” HHS head coach Chad Fields said. “You couldn't ask for anything more than what we had tonight.
“It was electric in the crowd. I think our nerves just got the best of us a little bit. We knew what they were going to throw at us, and once we just calmed down and settled down a little bit and got back into the flow of the game, I think the girls already started clicking and working together.”
The game started to get a little more emotional in the third frame, as very few fouls were called for either side in the frame, and the physicality of the play picked up from both teams. HHS outscored McClain 18-7 in the quarter, though the Lady Tigers held the lead in the third quarter on two occasions.
McClain took back the lead in the early stages of the third with a basket by Easter with an assist by Vanzant. Hillsboro battled back with two straight baskets from Eden Edenfield, putting HHS in front at 25-23 with 6:30 left on the clock.
McClain had an answer too, with a 3-pointer from the corner of the court by Vanzant (who totaled seven points for the Lady Tigers), and two points in the paint from Sykes, lifting the Lady Tigers back into the lead at 27-25.
Hillsboro scored the next 14 points to complete the quarter with a 12-point lead at 39-27.
The first five of those points came with two free throws by Dean, tying the score at 27, then she lifted Hillsboro in the top spot with a 3-pointer at the 2:51 mark for a 30-27 advantage. From this point on, the Lady Indians never lost the lead.
Following a jump ball as the two teams wrestled for possession of the basketball, Hillsboro reached the scoring column again with a basket by Herdman. The scoring run continued with Bledsoe taking the ball full-court to the hoop with 1:28 left in the frame.
HHS ended the fourth with a three-point play by Herdman, and then with less than a second on the scoreboard she knocked down two shots from the free-throw line for a 12-point Lady Indians lead.
“I told the girls at halftime, we can only control what we can control. The officials were letting us play ball. It was a tournament atmosphere-type game. They were letting us play ball, and I told them, we got to take care of business,” Fields said. “They’re being physical with us right now, and we've just got to give it right back to him and keep fighting. I think they did that they responded and answered the call. I couldn't be more proud of them.
“I’m just ecstatic right now. We knew it was going to be a war. You’ve got two rivals, and Coach Haines does a fantastic job. He's a very fiery coach. We knew he was going to have his girls ready to play, and boy, were they. They came out fired up and ready to go. You couldn't ask for a better ballgame, and I'm just glad that we were on the winning side of it.
“It wasn't easy, and I wasn't expecting it to be,” Fields continued. “I told the girls at halftime, they won the first quarter, we won the second quarter. Now it's time that we’ve got to go out and put two back-to-back quarters together and just finish strong, and I think we did a good job of that.”
McClain outscored Hillsboro 12-10 in the fourth frame, as the quarter included more intense play from both sides, though Hillsboro was charged with an intentional foul with 2:58 left in the game.
In the fourth frame for Hillsboro, Dean added five points, Bell made a free throw, Bledsoe made a free throw and Herdman scored three points.
MHS in the final quarter had two points each by Vanzant, Haylee Havens and Sykes, plus three points each from Pryor and Easter (who made a 3-pointer with 4:23 left in regulation).
“It's been a really fun season. If you judge this season, I'd say it's one of the more fun experiences I've had as a coach because it's a joy to go to work every day,” Haines said. “You know these kids are going to gut it out and do anything you say and work hard for you, and you see that on the floor.
“You’ve just got to make shots, and I thought our defense did a pretty good job for the most part. We just gave up too many second-chance opportunities in the first half and in the second half, and it seemed like when they needed a call or something to go their way, it went their way.
“The ball didn't really bounce in our favor like that. But I give my kids credit, man, they came here, they gutted it out, they played extremely hard on the road, and that's all we can ask.”
Other final scoring totals for McClain included McCoy (one point), Havens (two points), Barnes (five points) and Sykes (six points).
Other final sporting for Hillsboro included Bell (four points), Scott (two points), Edenfield (four points) and Bledsoe (six points).
The win moves HHS to a final regular-season record of 11-10 overall with a 6-4 record in the FAC. McClain wraps up the regular season at 8-12 overall and 4-6 in the FAC.
Fields spoke about his senior class as this was their final home game.
“I can't be more proud of these seniors. This group — from day one, when I met them last season — I knew they were going to be a special group. They work so hard, and the bonds that they've made, especially with our underclassmen — it's something that I'm so very proud to be a part of,” Fields said. “I just can't be happier for these girls. They’ve worked so hard the last two seasons. People have doubted them. I think we saw tonight with the crowd that people are finally seeing that all that hard work is paying off for them.”
HHS will play again in sectional tournament play on Monday, Feb. 14 at Unioto against the UHS Lady Shermans at 7 p.m.
MHS will also play in the sectional tournament on Monday, Feb. 14 at Vinton County High School as they will be facing the VCHS Lady Vikings at 7 p.m.
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