Hardy Girls Basketball corralled the ship sending the Pirates jumping overboard to the deep fathoms below commandeering the sails for a 54-16 victory on senior night last Wednesday in Baker.
The Cougars honored their three seniors prior to the contest: Jaden Fleshman, Chelsea Keller and Rebecca Whetzel.
Despite a combined 86 errant field goal attempts with the Cougars accounting for 52 of those on 23 percent shooting, East Hardy (4-12) netted enough to secure the fourth win of the season over Paw Paw (0-11).
“We got the win, but we still can’t shoot. We may have scored 54 points, but we shot 23 percent from the floor and that’s a lot of shots to get 54 points,” East Hardy Girls Basketball coach Bridget Billmeyer commented.
“[Seniors] You have them with you for four years and you watch them develop and get better as time goes on. It’s always hard to see them play their last home game, but they got in there and played hard. We did our best to get Becca Whetzel in there on the offensive and defensive ends with her ankle being hurt. They still have basketball games to finish. It is senior night here, but we aren’t done.”
East Hardy senior Rebecca Whetzel started and played through one offensive and defensive series before being sent to the bench due to an existing injury.
Whetzel helped to keep statistics on the bench during the game.
The sound the rim makes when the ball bounces off of it was heard echoing in the gym a dozen times combined in the first two minutes and change of the contest.
East Hardy’s Chelsea Keller made a steal and was assisted by Makenzie Blair on the first basket made of the game at the 5:17 mark.
Keller notched another steal, but the Cougars hit the rim and Paw Paw’s Trista Abrell tried to pull down [private]the rebound and Keller ripped it away and the ensuing shot missed and the carom was fielded by East Hardy’s Tera Jones while sitting on the floor.
Jones passed up to Keller, who made the bucket for the Cougars extending the lead to 4-nil at 4:34.
Paw Paw responded with a 3-pointer by Hana Hendrickson at the 4:10 mark.
The Cougars missed another field goal and the ball bounced out of play, then Keller stole the ball.
After a foul, East Hardy hit the rim twice and Abrell snatched the latter board for the Pirates before being stolen back by Perry Whetzel.
East Hardy’s Gabreanna Miller made an inbound assist to Taylor Strawderman at the 2:42 mark for a 6-3 lead.
Paw Paw tied the game 17 seconds later on a perimeter shot by Maristy Crosco.
The Cougars went back on top 8-6 as Strawderman hit a jumper with 2:08 left in the first period.
East Hardy’s Strawderman swiped the ball, but no score came as a result with two errant attempts even with Tori Pratt’s rebound keeping the possession alive.
Abrell collected the next rebound for the Pirates, then Pratt stole the ball for the Cougars.
East Hardy missed the basket twice and rebounds by Pratt and Strawderman didn’t produce points.
Paw Paw’s Halle Galliher hauled in a defensive rebound, but the Pirates missed two opportunities before Strawderman took the last rebound.
Miller drew a foul and added one free throw for East Hardy with 32 seconds left in the first period for a 9-6 lead.
Both teams committed turnovers in the waning seconds including a steal by East Hardy’s Autumn Crites.
Paw Paw’s Hannah Deschenes created a steal to commence the second period, but the ensuing shot hit the rim and East Hardy’s Katee Short hauled in the rebound.
After a foul, Jones made an inbound pass and assist to Short on a jumper in the paint as the Cougars took an 11-6 edge at the 7:22 mark.
Crosco knocked down a 3-pointer for the Pirates at the 7:06 mark, 11-9.
The Cougars answered with a jumper at the free throw line by Short off an assist from Perry Whetzel at 6:50.
Perry Whetzel stole the ball and the layup hit the rim, but Short grabbed the board and scored.
Blair made a steal for East Hardy and the ball was knocked loose by Crosco chasing down the play.
Jones made an inbound pass to Short again for a basket as the Cougars went up 17-9.
East Hardy’s Jaden Fleshman collected a defensive rebound, then Jones was called for a charge.
Paw Paw’s Galliher netted a jumper at the 5:18 mark, then the Cougars went on a 12-nil run to close the first half.
Keller executed a putback at the 4:35 mark to spark the East Hardy run.
An illegal screen was called on the Pirates, then Short scored her 10th point of the second period at the 4:13 mark with a mid-range jumper.
Paw Paw lost the ball out of bounds and the Cougars hit the rim, then a rebound by Deschenes was stolen by Freshman leading to an errant shot.
Keller hauled in a defensive rebound and scored off a pass from Perry Whetzel at the 3:06 mark putting the Cougars up 23-11.
Short stole the ball, but it was swiped back by Crosco before another Pirates turnover coming due to not being established inbounds.
Pratt was fouled on a rebound and made one free throw, then Strawderman snatched the ensuing board and added another free throw just four seconds apart.
A steal and offensive rebound by Strawderman resulted in her own basket at the 1:25 mark for a 27-11 lead.
Crites made a steal for the Cougars, but a walk was called moments later.
Strawderman stole the ball and East Hardy hit the rim twice with rebounds by Crites and Strawderman with the latter falling in the hoop with 47 seconds left in the half, 29-11.
The Cougars forced two turnovers in the waning moments, but missed two more opportunities.
East Hardy committed a lane violation to begin the third period and a foul, then Katee Short blocked a shot.
There were a combined 12 missed shots and several turnovers over the opening three minutes and change.
Short finally broke the ice with a basket at the 4:29 mark for the Cougars, then Blair stole the ball and made a layup for a 33-11 advantage.
Strawderman collected a defensive rebound before a double dribble call.
Paw Paw’s Hana Hendrickson drilled a 3-pointer at the 3:31 mark for a 33-14 score.
After two missed shots by the Cougars, Crites stole the ball back and Strawderman scored at 3:02.
The Pirates hit the rim and a save by Galliher was intercepted by East Hardy’s Gabreanna Miller.
Strawderman netted a basket on the next possession for a 37-14 lead at 2:33.
Nine combined rim shots occurred in the remainder of the third period, but a steal by East Hardy’s Emma Heishman setup a free throw by Crites with 16 seconds to go, 38-14.
East Hardy’s Tera Jones snatched a defensive rebound to begin the fourth period and passed to Fleshman for a jumper at the 7:37 mark, 40-14.
Paw Paw missed four shots over the next two minutes and the Cougars hit the rim twice before Galliher added one free throw for the Pirates at the 5:59 mark.
East Hardy’s Perry Whetzel nailed a jumper on the ensuing series, then Short made a steal and was tied up for a jump ball going to the Cougars with Paw Paw fouling twice prior to Whetzel netting another basket at 4:55 for a 44-15 lead.
Jones blocked a shot, then Keller stole the ball and found Fleshman for a bucket as the Cougars kept the momentum moving.
Strawderman added four more field goals for East Hardy in the final three minutes of the contest for the 54-16 victory.
Strawderman netted a game-high 21 points for the Cougars, followed by Short with 12 points and Keller with eight markers.[/private]
Paw Paw was paced by Crosco with seven points and Hendrickson with six points.
East Hardy finishes the regular season on the road with three games at Harman (Feb. 11), Moorefield (tomorrow) and Paw Paw (Feb. 17).