There was a rumble in the Hive as the Yellow Jackettes battered East Hardy in the paint with 17 blocks to preserve a 46-39 victory in the Class A Region II Section 2 Girls Basketball semifinals in Moorefield on Thursday.
“I’m proud of all my girls, the ones on the floor and ones on the bench. They’re there supporting, going on the floor and making plays. That’s what it takes for us to win,” Moorefield Coach Paul Keplinger remarked.
“We had a low shooting percentage in the first half, then we came out and made some nice putbacks and fed the ball inside to G [Gianna Fair]. Shooting 52 percent opened up the lead for us. We didn’t foul and were playing good defense, then all of a sudden we decided to swat away again and real quick they got into double bonus.”
This was the third victory for Moorefield over the Lady Cougars this season, so third time was the charm to advance to the section and region championships.
The Yellow Jackettes will play Tucker County on Saturday afternoon in Petersburg for the Region II Section 2 championship, then the winner hosts Notre Dame and the loser will travel to Trinity Christian for the Region II championship on Wednesday night with a state berth on the line.
Moorefield’s last trip to the state tournament in Charleston was in 2003.
“This is a chance to win the section championship and keep moving on. We are guaranteed a championship spot to try and go to state. This is something we have discussed all year, trying to get better to this point,” Coach Keplinger noted.
Moorefield center Gianna Fair garnered a dozen blocked shots during the contest to help deny scoring opportunities by the Lady Cougars.
It was certainly rough inside the paint as East Hardy was on the free throw line 37 times during the night making 21 of those attempts including 11 during a late fourth quarter rally attempting to erase a deficit that was as high as 18 points in the third period.
The Lady Cougars took the initial semifinal lead after taking the opening tip-off as Julia Hahn nailed a long distance jumper at 7:40 and finished the game with 14 points.
The Yellow Jackettes missed their first shot and was 34 percent for field goals on the evening, then East Hardy’s Lexi Strawderman collected the rebound.
Moorefield’s Lindsey Rinker stole the ball and scored on the breakaway to tie the game at the 6:43 mark and contributed six markers on the night as the Lady Cougars kept making traps.
Rinker snatched a defensive rebound and assisted Madison McGregor on a jumper, her first of a game-high 17 points for the Yellow Jackettes.
Both squads drew iron twice before McGregor scored on a short range jumper at 4:53.
After a jump ball, Fair blocked her first shot attempt and took the ball off the hands of East Hardy’s Brooke Miller in the process.
Moorefield’s Remington Hinkle grabbed an offensive rebound and made the putback for an 8-2 edge at the 4:00 mark.
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Hinkle deflected the ball out of bounds, then a missed shot turned into a scramble for the loose ball and Miller corralled it en route to hitting an old-fashioned three point play which sparked her team-best 16 points while cutting the margin to 8-5 at 3:33.
Strawderman leapt for an interception along the baseline and the saving through evolved into a turnover caught by Hinkle, but Moorefield failed to score with Miller collecting the carom.
Miller made the first of two free throws, then the ricochet was saved by Anna Riggleman for the Yellow Jackettes and a foul was assessed on East Hardy’s Emma Baker.
East Hardy’s Leanna Basye snatched a defensive board and passed to Miller, who drew a foul by Riggleman and was off the mark on the line with Riggleman taking the rebound.
A minute later after a handful off errant shots, East Hardy’s Julia Hahn tied the game at the 1:11 mark with a pair of free throws on a foul from McGregor, 8-all.
A trap by Hahn and Baker on Rinker turned into a steal by Baker for the Lady Cougars, but the ensuing attempt hit iron and bounced out.
Moorefield missed twice and East Hardy didn’t make a buzzer beater at the score remained knotted at eight points apiece entering the second period.
Nautica Crosco garnered an offensive rebound to begin the second period and hit the jumper to regain the lead at 7:40.
Moorefield’s Emma Baker stole the ball, but the next attempt was off kilter and Miller took the rebound before it was stolen by Riggleman.
Hinkle kept the possession alive for the Yellow Jackettes with a rebound and passed to Crosco for a basket at 6:43, 12-8.
About a minute later, Hinkle made a steal and was fouled by Strawderman leading to one free throw and Riggleman snatched the board.
The next Moorefield field goal attempt hit the rim and Miller collected the board for one of her dozen rebounds.
Strawderman missed a pair of fouls shots and Miller grabbed the rebound and the next one before being fouled and hitting one of two free throws at 5:33 as the Lady Cougars trailed 13-9.
Hinkle garnered the rebound off the second free throw attempt, then the Yellow Jackettes missed again and Basye grabbed the board.
East Hardy missed the next field goal and Crosco collected the defensive rebound.
Strawderman stole the ball, but Hinkle deflected her pass out of bounds.
Fair snatched rebounds on both ends of the floor, but Moorefield still couldn’t find the hoop on two more attempts including a rebound by Baker.
East Hardy hit the rim again after a defensive rebound by Miller, then Fair grabbed another rebound which was one of her 11 boards.
Basye made one of a dozen rebounds, then the Lady Cougars walked.
East Hardy’s Emma Baker stole the ball, but McGregor chased her down to deflect the dribble out of bounds.
Hahn caught a rebound and Fair blocked her shot attempt, then McGregor drilled a 3-pointer at the 2:21 mark for a 16-9 lead.
Fair blocked another shot, then Hahn drew a foul and netted both free throws.
Rinker was bumped by Baker on a 3-pointer which bounced off the rim, then added two of three free throws.
Crosco stole the ball and Strawderman went for a block and was whistled for a foul and two free throws were added to give the Yellow Jackettes a 20-11 advantage with 1:34 left which was carried into halftime.
“It really wasn’t a whole lot different, we ended up with the same scores pretty much as the last time we played. We did miss some free throws we should have made, but we probably should have been on the free throw line about ten more times. It’s pretty hard when somebody is swatting at you and you’re not getting the call,” East Hardy Coach Bridget Billmeyer commented.
Opening the third period, Miller snatched an offensive rebound while falling to the floor making a pass which was intercepted by Hinkle before a walk was called.
Rinker collected a rebound off a tipped ball, then Strawderman notched a steal which was taken back by Baker and Rinker.
Basye sandwiched defensive rebounds around a missed Lady Cougars attempt that fell out.
Miller garnered a basket in the paint at the 6:07 mark off an assist from Baker to slice the deficit to 20-13.
One minute later, Moorefield increased the lead with a 3-pointer by McGregor.
Fair and Strawderman made defensive rebounds, then Baker deflected a pass out of bounds for the Yellow Jackettes.
Strawderman connected with a wide open Baker in the paint during the inbounds pass as East Hardy made it 23-15 at 4:12.
Fair leaned over Miller to bat the ball out of bounds during a rebound attempt, then notched a block on the defensive end of the court.
McGregor nailed a basket just inside the perimeter line at 3:18 as Moorefield put the game into double digits 25-15.
Hahn netted a jumper on the next Lady Cougars possession, but Moorefield answered with a shot by Fair.
Fair grabbed a rebound and was fouled, then missed both attempts on the line.
Hinkle collected the carom and passed to Fair for the bucket at 2:17 to increase the lead to 29-17.
Miller snatched an offensive rebound and was fouled, then hit both free throws.
The Moorefield bench was cheering loudly as McGregor knocked down a 3-pointer with a minute plus a nickel remaining in the frame, 32-19.
Fair blocked a shot attempt, then Rinker lost the ball out of bounds.
East Hardy’s Emma Baker snatched an offensive rebound and was fouled, then added one free throw and Fair hauled in the board before hitting a jumper on the other end for a 34-20 advantage to close the third period.
Two fouls by the Lady Cougars started the fourth period, then Fair’s field goal was good which was part of the dozen markers made by Moorefield in the frame.
Hinkle swiped the ball and went in for a layup at the 7:00 mark to provided a 38-20 score.
Miller sank a jumper inside the paint which was the first of 19 points the Lady Cougars would accumulate in the rally attempt at 6:47.
Crosco made a save off a miss on offense, but the throw landed in the hands of Basye for a turnover.
An interesting note, the game was pretty even on turnovers with Moorefield holding the 20-19 edge.
Basye was fouled and hit one of two free throws, then East Hardy’s Emma Baker stole the ball and was blocked by Rinker.
Miller garnered a rebound and McGregor deflected the pass out of bounds, then Basye drew a foul and connected on both foul shots for a 38-25 score with 5:25 remaining in the game.
After a timeout, East Hardy applied full court pressure and Hahn stole the ball, but it was taken away by McGregor before Hahn snatched it back and missed the basket with the tip by McGregor going out.
On the same series, Fair blocked three consecutive East Hardy shot attempts.
Miller was fouled by Hinkle and added one free throw to make it 38-26 at 4:57.
McGregor delivered a long range jumper for the Yellow Jackettes in response.
Hinkle got the defensive rebound and Strawderman swiped the ball, then the Lady Cougars missed again and McGregor collected the board.
Rinker was fouled and made both free throws at the 3:58 mark putting Moorefield up 42-26.
Fair blocked the ball thrice on the same possession as the Yellow Jackettes controlled the paint.
Over the next minute, East Hardy managed one of four free throws with the lone credit to Hahn, while Moorefield had several turnovers and later Hahn would add a jumper at 2:42 for a 42-29 score.
A defensive rebound by Hahn led to a pair of free throws made by Miller at 2:08.
After a timeout and a foul, Crosco fed Hinkle for a Yellow Jackettes bucket.
Hahn cashed in on a jumper during the next Lady Cougars score.
Strawderman’s defense on Rinker forced a five second violation turnover, then Hahn made one of two free throws while Rinker fouled out with 48 seconds left.
Miller was fouled after collecting the rebound and hit both foul shots just three seconds later.
East Hardy’s pressure forced a Yellow Jackettes turnover out of bounds and after a timeout, Fair blocked a shot.
McGregor snatched a defensive rebound and East Hardy’s Emma Baker fouled out with 38 seconds remaining.
McGregor missed the one-and-one and Hahn collected the board, then McGregor picked up a foul.
Hahn hit the rim both times, then Basye grabbed two consecutive rebounds before being fouled and adding one free throw with 31 seconds to go.
Moorefield’s Emma Baker was fouled and missed the free throw and a lane violation allowed another attempt which went awry and Basye hauled in the rebound.
The Lady Cougars missed a 3-pointer and Fair tipped the ball to Hinkle, who tripped accompanying a foul by Miller.
Hinkle missed the free throw with 19 seconds on the clock and East Hardy’s Tera Jones rebounded the ball.
Basye had a clear path for a layup to pull the Lady Cougars to within five points, 44-39 with 11 seconds left.
After a timeout, East Hardy applied pressure and Hahn fouled Crosco, who sealed the win with two free throws with eight seconds remaining for the 46-39 victory and the last shot went awry.
“After the Allegany loss, we came back and had eight hard days of practice and they responded well. You could see that tonight. Gianna with the blocks and we had freshmen stepping up starting with Remi Hinkle making seven points and getting nine rebounds. It doesn’t matter what night it is, we want everyone to contribute. It was nice to see people here, but it is championship time so you will see more. I hope to see fans come support us in Petersburg,” Coach Keplinger concluded.
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