'Electric' Lady Mustangs slide their way to the SHL championship
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
DODSONVILLE - The Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs are once again Division I Southern Hills League champions, as they not only won on Parent's Night, but defend their home court against the Fayetteville Lady Rockets for their head coach (Linda Hatten) in a 46-42 victory, in her final game at the Lynchburg-Clay home court.
The Lady Mustangs went back to tradition following their SHL championship win as they did the Electric Slide in celebration of their newly won title. They will share the title with the Eastern Lady Warriors and North Adams Lady Green Devils as they each won their final league games on Thursday evening.
To gain their first SHL crown since 2006, it was a tough battle from start-to-finish against the reigning back-to-back Division II SHL champion Lady Rockets.
"We knew this game wasn't going to be easy," Linda Hatten said. "This is a huge win for us. I am so proud of the girls. They have been amazing all year long and played through a lot different of emotions in this game."
Each team overcame many emotions in the final frame as LC, who lead for the first three quarters, had to play catch up in the final eight minutes as the Lady Rockets took the lead for the first time with 6:15 to play in regulation. To take the lead Fayetteville senior Shelby Brown connected with a put back basket, followed by two free throws less than 40 seconds later.
With Fayetteville leading 36-35, LC senior Lindsey Hawk battled and fought her way to the hoop, while under heavy pressure, to score two points with an off-balanced jumper with 5:05 left in the game.
After the Lady Rockets regained the lead with a bucket by Desiree Dutro, Hawk came through again for LC with another tough shot, followed with a free throw for a three-point play.
Again, the Lady Rockets tied the game (40-40) with Dutro willing her team back to the top spot.
Then the Lady Mustangs dipped into the LC championship tradition, and galloped their way to at least a share of the SHL crown, by regaining the lead and never looking back.
LC senior Cali Hatten, who grabbed 10 rebounds, made a layup, followed seconds later with junior Lillian Blankenship stealing the ball away from the Lady Rockets and scoring uncontested fast break points for a 44-40 lead. Lillian Blankenship finished with 10 points.
Once LC regained possession of the ball, they ticked away just over one minute off the clock by using a textbook passing display of keep away, forcing Fayetteville to foul with 45.2 seconds left in the game.
Hawk clinched the SHL championship with two free throws with 32.7 left on the clock. Hawk led all scorers with a game-high 19 points.
"Lindsey (Hawk) played good defense, but really stepped things up offensively," Hatten said. "She kept us in the game with her scoring. At the end her free throws were huge."
Emotions didn't get in the way at the start of the game for the Lady Mustangs with Hawk knocking down a 3-pointer to start the contest for an early 3-0 lead.
With a quick bucket by Fayetteville's Emily Stahl, LC went on a tear with one free throw from Cali Hatten, followed with points from juniors Lillian Blankenship and Meredith Fittro. The 8-0 run was completed when Lillian Blankenship sank a 3-pointer with 4:47 left in the quarter to give the Lady Mustangs a 12-2 lead.
The Lady Rockets took off in the latter stages of the opening quarter with six straight points to slash the Lady Mustangs' lead to four points. With .24 seconds left on the clock Hatten converted a layup to extend the LC advantage to six points.
Scoring slowed down in the second frame, with attempts from the free-throw line ruling for nearly the first four minutes of the quarter, with LC taking a 15-12 lead as neither team could take advantage from the charity stripe.
Hawk secured a three-point play with a steal, layup and free throw to put LC ahead 18-12 with just over four minutes left in the first half.
The final 1:12 of the second belonged to LC junior Hannah Blankenship, as she knocked down a 3-pointer and sank one free throw after being fouled at the buzzer to end the first half. In the third frame Hawk put LC (11-2, 14-5) ahead by nine points by sinking a 3-pointer with 6:24 showing on the scoreboard.
Later in the third Fayetteville went on a 10-2 run with points from Shelby Sheets, Dutro, Stahl and Brown, cutting the LC advantage to one point at 30-29.
The one-point cushion soon turned into four when Lillian Blankenship netted a trifecta and Hawk put down two free throws with 7.1 left in the quarter to give LC a 35-31 lead.
Defensively for LC freshman Laney Lewis gained 10 rebounds.
"In a game like this Laney (Lewis) stepped up with her rebounding," Hatten said. "Also, Brooke (Hertlein) and Laney played good defense against their scorers. They both kept them from shooting 3-pointers with their long arms and getting in their way. They both did a great job."
The win lifts LC to 14-5 overall, 11-2 in the SHL.
Hatten continued to speak about how much she was proud of her now championship squad.
"I was afraid we might come out flat with all that was going on tonight, but they came out strong and again, I can't stress how proud of them I am. This group is full of amazing kids."
BOX SCORE
SCORE BY QUARTERS
FHS - 10 4 18 10 - 42
LCHS - 14 8 13 11 - 46
INDIVIDUAL STATS
LCHS (46)
H,Blankenship 0 (1) 1-3 4, L.Blankenship 2 (2) 0-1 10, M.Fittro 1 (1) 1-2 6, L.Hatten 3 1-4 7, L.Hawk 3 (2) 7-8 19. TOTALS: 9 (6) 10-22 46.
FHS (42)
E.Stahl 3 2-2 8, J.Ryan 3 0-1 6, D.Dutro 3 2-2 8, S.Sheets 1 7-12 9, S.Brown 3 (1) 2-4 11. TOTALS: 13 (1) 13-21 42.[[In-content Ad]]
The Lady Mustangs went back to tradition following their SHL championship win as they did the Electric Slide in celebration of their newly won title. They will share the title with the Eastern Lady Warriors and North Adams Lady Green Devils as they each won their final league games on Thursday evening.
To gain their first SHL crown since 2006, it was a tough battle from start-to-finish against the reigning back-to-back Division II SHL champion Lady Rockets.
"We knew this game wasn't going to be easy," Linda Hatten said. "This is a huge win for us. I am so proud of the girls. They have been amazing all year long and played through a lot different of emotions in this game."
Each team overcame many emotions in the final frame as LC, who lead for the first three quarters, had to play catch up in the final eight minutes as the Lady Rockets took the lead for the first time with 6:15 to play in regulation. To take the lead Fayetteville senior Shelby Brown connected with a put back basket, followed by two free throws less than 40 seconds later.
With Fayetteville leading 36-35, LC senior Lindsey Hawk battled and fought her way to the hoop, while under heavy pressure, to score two points with an off-balanced jumper with 5:05 left in the game.
After the Lady Rockets regained the lead with a bucket by Desiree Dutro, Hawk came through again for LC with another tough shot, followed with a free throw for a three-point play.
Again, the Lady Rockets tied the game (40-40) with Dutro willing her team back to the top spot.
Then the Lady Mustangs dipped into the LC championship tradition, and galloped their way to at least a share of the SHL crown, by regaining the lead and never looking back.
LC senior Cali Hatten, who grabbed 10 rebounds, made a layup, followed seconds later with junior Lillian Blankenship stealing the ball away from the Lady Rockets and scoring uncontested fast break points for a 44-40 lead. Lillian Blankenship finished with 10 points.
Once LC regained possession of the ball, they ticked away just over one minute off the clock by using a textbook passing display of keep away, forcing Fayetteville to foul with 45.2 seconds left in the game.
Hawk clinched the SHL championship with two free throws with 32.7 left on the clock. Hawk led all scorers with a game-high 19 points.
"Lindsey (Hawk) played good defense, but really stepped things up offensively," Hatten said. "She kept us in the game with her scoring. At the end her free throws were huge."
Emotions didn't get in the way at the start of the game for the Lady Mustangs with Hawk knocking down a 3-pointer to start the contest for an early 3-0 lead.
With a quick bucket by Fayetteville's Emily Stahl, LC went on a tear with one free throw from Cali Hatten, followed with points from juniors Lillian Blankenship and Meredith Fittro. The 8-0 run was completed when Lillian Blankenship sank a 3-pointer with 4:47 left in the quarter to give the Lady Mustangs a 12-2 lead.
The Lady Rockets took off in the latter stages of the opening quarter with six straight points to slash the Lady Mustangs' lead to four points. With .24 seconds left on the clock Hatten converted a layup to extend the LC advantage to six points.
Scoring slowed down in the second frame, with attempts from the free-throw line ruling for nearly the first four minutes of the quarter, with LC taking a 15-12 lead as neither team could take advantage from the charity stripe.
Hawk secured a three-point play with a steal, layup and free throw to put LC ahead 18-12 with just over four minutes left in the first half.
The final 1:12 of the second belonged to LC junior Hannah Blankenship, as she knocked down a 3-pointer and sank one free throw after being fouled at the buzzer to end the first half. In the third frame Hawk put LC (11-2, 14-5) ahead by nine points by sinking a 3-pointer with 6:24 showing on the scoreboard.
Later in the third Fayetteville went on a 10-2 run with points from Shelby Sheets, Dutro, Stahl and Brown, cutting the LC advantage to one point at 30-29.
The one-point cushion soon turned into four when Lillian Blankenship netted a trifecta and Hawk put down two free throws with 7.1 left in the quarter to give LC a 35-31 lead.
Defensively for LC freshman Laney Lewis gained 10 rebounds.
"In a game like this Laney (Lewis) stepped up with her rebounding," Hatten said. "Also, Brooke (Hertlein) and Laney played good defense against their scorers. They both kept them from shooting 3-pointers with their long arms and getting in their way. They both did a great job."
The win lifts LC to 14-5 overall, 11-2 in the SHL.
Hatten continued to speak about how much she was proud of her now championship squad.
"I was afraid we might come out flat with all that was going on tonight, but they came out strong and again, I can't stress how proud of them I am. This group is full of amazing kids."
BOX SCORE
SCORE BY QUARTERS
FHS - 10 4 18 10 - 42
LCHS - 14 8 13 11 - 46
INDIVIDUAL STATS
LCHS (46)
H,Blankenship 0 (1) 1-3 4, L.Blankenship 2 (2) 0-1 10, M.Fittro 1 (1) 1-2 6, L.Hatten 3 1-4 7, L.Hawk 3 (2) 7-8 19. TOTALS: 9 (6) 10-22 46.
FHS (42)
E.Stahl 3 2-2 8, J.Ryan 3 0-1 6, D.Dutro 3 2-2 8, S.Sheets 1 7-12 9, S.Brown 3 (1) 2-4 11. TOTALS: 13 (1) 13-21 42.[[In-content Ad]]