Jumping off the right paw is just what the Lady Cougars needed to start the season as East Hardy prowled down the hardwood for a 40-19 victory over Harman last Tuesday in the Baker Den.
“It is always good to get a win. We are halfway to our win total of last year which was only two wins. We were able to execute our game plan,” East Hardy coach Bridget Billmeyer remarked.
Breaking the nerves of opening night, East Hardy’s Tera Jones provided comedic relief stepping up to the tip-off circle and turning to the coach asking how do you jump.
After East Hardy won the opening tip and the initial shot attempt hit the rim, Katee Short made a jump for the rebound and netted the putback en route to a game-high 14 points with the first field goal of the season coming at the 7:45 mark.
The Lady Panthers committed a double dribble, then East Hardy lost control of the ball on a drive to the basket by Jaden Fleshman with the ball ricocheting out of [private]play.
Harman lost the ball on the next possession, then Fleshman assisted Makenzie Blair on a jumper to put the Lady Cougars up 4-nil at 6:40.
East Hardy’s Chelsea Keller collected two defensive rebounds, but both times turnovers were made with the latter a steal by Harman’s Alison Warner setting up a layup by Alexis Nelson at the 5:35 mark.
Keller grabbed an offensive rebound and dished the ball to Short for a jumper on the following series.
Natalie Teter made one free throw with the second negated on a violation stepping over the line as the Lady Panthers cut the deficit to 6-3 at the 4:44 mark.
After a jump ball, Harman missed the hoop twice with rebounds by Tessa Propst and Alison Warner, who fell causing a turnover.
Harman made a trap and fouled Keller, who scored one of two free throws for the Lady Cougars with four minutes left in the first period.
It took another two minutes before the next point was made which was a foul shot by Harman’s Emily Marple and East Hardy’s Rebecca Whetzel snatched the rebound off the second attempt.
After a kickball violation, Whetzel made an inbound pass to Short for a field goal at the 1:45 mark giving East Hardy a 9-4 lead.
East Hardy’s Perry Whetzel made a defensive rebound, then Short drew a foul making the basket and missing the bonus with Rebecca Whetzel grabbing the carom and feeding Jones for a jumper within seven seconds taking a 13-4 advantage at 1:32.
A trap by the Lady Cougars forced a walk, then a free throw opportunity came up empty moments later.
Harman’s Emily Marple collected the rebound off the free throw line miss, then netted a jumper on the other end with under a minute left in the first period with the score standing at 13-6 entering the second frame as the Lady Panthers missed two shots to close it out.
East Hardy’s Makenzie Blair forced a turnover and was tied up with Harman’s Alison Warner to begin the second period creating a jump ball, then the Lady Cougars drew iron and Warner got the rebound.
Harman’s Natalie Teter went to the free throw line and made both shots at the 7:14 mark, 13-8.
After a defensive rebound by the Lady Panthers, East Hardy made a trap forcing a walk.
Jones snatched an offensive rebound and was fouled during the shot for an old-fashioned three-point play putting the Lady Cougars up 18-8 at the 4:59 mark.
Both teams missed a couple opportunities and committed a turnover apiece with the latter a steal by Short during a trap leading to a breakaway basket at 2:56 as East Hardy extended the advantage 20-8.
Short made another steal, but the ensuing shot hit the rim and Harman’s Propst collected the board before the Lady Panthers walked.
East Hardy’s Rebecca Whetzel was fouled and netted both charity stripe shots at the 2:27 mark.
Blair deflected a pass and the ricochet was tracked down by Jones for the steal, but the Lady Cougars didn’t capitalize as a collision led to a foul with a missed free throw.
A Lady Panthers walk was followed by errant passes out of bounds by both teams.
Harman’s Arbogast made a defensive rebound and was fouled, then Marple drew a foul during a shot attempt and added one free throw with 34 seconds left in the first half.
Rebecca Whetzel made the rebound off the second free throw attempt, then the Lady Cougars missed an initial jumper with a tip by Jones redirecting the ball to Perry Whetzel for a field goal with 21 seconds on the clock.
Teter netted a jumper for the Lady Panthers with seven seconds remaining in the half as East Hardy carried a 24-11 lead into the locker rooms.
Harman missed the first basket of the third quarter with Short making the rebound for the Lady Cougars, then there was a pair of jump ball calls before the Lady Panthers fumbled the ball out of bounds.
East Hardy’s Perry Whetzel made a pass along the baseline to Tera Jones for a jumper at the 7:00 mark, 26-11.
Blair and Teter traded steals, then Harman missed a shot and Short collected the board and scored on the ensuing possession for the Lady Cougars.
After an offensive foul, Blair made a steal and scored on the breakaway at the 5:48 mark to go up 30-11.
Harman missed two free throws with a rebound by Jones, then East Hardy came up empty thrice despite the rebounding from Jones and Rebecca Whetzel.
A steal by Jones was immediately swiped back by Harman’s Propst leading to one free throw made by Warner at the 4:06 mark.
Short notched the rebound, then Blair was whistled for a walk before creating a steal swatting the ball for Jones to corral only to have a double dribble.
Both teams hit the rim on field goal attempts before Marple netted one of two free throws at the 2:47 mark for the Lady Panthers, 30-13.
East Hardy’s Chelsea Keller scored in the paint off an assist from Fleshman with 1:45 remaining as the last points of the frame for a 32-13 lead.
The Lady Cougars edged out Harman 8-6 in the fourth period with Jones scoring jumpers thrice and Short adding a putback for a 40-19 victory.
Katee Short garnered a game-high 14 points for East Hardy, followed by Jones with 13 points.
The Lady Panthers were paced by Teter with eight points.
The Lady Cougars recorded half the amount of wins from last season in the opener and look to keep the momentum going this year.[/private]