Running on empty: Lady Hawks blow open close game with late rally in 46-35 win over Tigers
Across the gymnasium, in the other locker room, the Lady Hawks rejoiced in their 46-35 victory, but knew they had dodged a bullet.
The difference in this game wasn't necessarily talent, nor was it in the style of play, or the heart exhibited. Both teams have similar talent, both played well, then poorly, then well again, and both played relentlessly on defense.
No, in this contest, the biggest difference was the depth.
Hiland rode a solid final 10 minutes to its 11-point victory, and when the final horn had sounded, just the fact that the emotions were running so high in the Tigers locker room showed exactly how much this game meant to them as a measuring stick.
"We talked all summer and again tonight about how this game was going to be our gauge," said Strasburg coach Brenton Bonanno. "When people asked this summer how we were going to be this season, I just said we'll let you know on the 30th. This was our gauge, and I really do think that we are going to be pretty good. I feel like we are right there if we can get our younger girls to step up and have confidence."
If it was a measuring stick for Strasburg, so, too, was it for Dave Schlabach's Lady Hawks, who have played brilliantly at times this summer.
However, after the lackluster performance on the offensive side, and with a number of costly turnovers, Schlabach said that it reminded him of some none too pleasant thoughts of a year ago.
"To me, we were very similar to last year," said Schlabach. "The kids who had been scoring for us this summer gave us nothing. But they've got to do it on game night."
After having won its opener in a big way, Strasburg came in with thoughts of doing something no Tiger team has done for a long time in upending the Lady Hawks. But the final 10 minutes in which they simply ran out of gas proved to be the downfall to that dream.
"It's frustrating," said Bonanno. "We've got to get a little deeper. We hung with them again. It was about a two point ball game late in the third quarter, and we started to run out of gas. If we have those three sophomores step in, it will be a different game. They were fresh toward the end because they were able to rotate and keep after it. We didn't give up by any means, we just started making mistakes because we were tired."
That led to a large number of offensive rebounds for Hiland, as Bria Coil and Jasmine Goings powered their way to several caroms apiece off the offensive glass, which kept alive Hiland scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter.
In addition to finding depth, Bonanno also said that he needs to have several players step up to help Colombo handle full court pressure.
The junior point guard, whom Schlabach called the best in the IVC, did a quite credible job of handling Hiland's hustling full court pressure. However, the Tigers did turn the ball over plenty at times, as did the Lady Hawks, as both teams consistently applied full court, trapping pressure whenever they could.
"What was our turnover count, a thousand," said Schlabach with a chuckle. "Pressure shouldn't bother us at this point. I think we're good enough, skilled enough that it shouldn't. But it did. They beat us with their half court trap."
While many figured it would be a good contest between two equal teams, the two point Hiland lead at the half did not overly surprise anyone. However, how the Lady Hawks got that two point lead was disconcerting to Schlabach.
Up 10-9 with the seconds ticking down in the first quarter, Hiland took a 13-9 edge into the first break when Meegan Hall hit a three-pointer to beat the zeroes on the clock. When Goings connected on a lay-up, Regan Miller made good on a bucket after a steal and then made another steal and hit Kendra Schlabach for an easy hoop, and it was suddenly 19-9. With all of the momentum, Hiland appeared poised to blow this one open. But the final four minutes of the half looked awfully rough for Hiland, which floundered along, while Strasburg put forth a huge effort to get back in it. Nicki Cregan made a pair of buckets from point blank, and Amanda King split a pair of free throws to make it 19-14. After Goings split a pair of charity tosses, Colombo banked in a 15-footer and knocked down two free throws, and suddenly it was 20-18.
Game on.
The third quarter saw Goings taking a key role off the bench for Hiland, while Stephanie Schuster joined Cregan and Colombo in keeping things close throughout the third stanza. With Hiland up 29-26 and time winding down, Goings made a crucial steal and fed Regina Hochstetler for a 31-26 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
McKenzie Miller drove the lane for two, Regan Miller followed suit, McKenzie Miller found Jenica Schrock cutting down the lane for an easy two and Bria Coil scored on a put-back, and all of a sudden the gassed Tigers trailed 40-26. Not until the 3:30 mark in the fourth, when Cregan finally knocked down a jumper, could the Tigers stem the tide, but it was too late.
The chance to get the win that seemed so within reach was past.
"Every time we play them we have a very special opportunity," said Bonanno. "We've looked back and wondered when the last time we have even beat them. It's been 15, 16 years, and the last time the Strasburg girls won an IVC championship was 1978-79, so we are trying to get our banner up there this year."
Goings paced the Lady Hawks with 11 points and six rebounds, while McKenzie Miller added 10 for Hiland. Regan Miller scored six and added four steals, Hall added nine points and Coil scored four while dragging down six boards. For the Tigers, Schuster was the lone player in double figures with 11, while Cregan added nine points and eight rebounds and Colombo chipped in with eight points.
"I'm anxious for the next game," said Schlabach. "We're just more skilled than we showed tonight. Strasburg is going to be really good. Colombo handled our pressure really well. We didn't handle their pressure, and we are now going to see a lot more of it until we show we can handle it. But I think we are a much better team than we showed tonight."
The Hiland JV nearly doubled up Strasburg in the opener, winning 48-26.
Published: November 30, 2011
