Union Girls Basketball steadily increased the intensity of attacks against the Cougars in the Baker Den climbing to a 23-10 lead at halftime and built a 32-point advantage in the fourth period en route to a 49-19 victory last Thursday.
“We have been struggling coming in 4-4 and should have been 6-2, but we let two close ones slip away from us. Tonight the girls played like we have been practicing. They hit the open shots, they were seeing the girls who were open and it was an awesome team effort tonight,” Union Girls Basketball coach Alex Stapleton remarked.
“I couldn’t have been prouder of them. It was a good conference win against a good opponent.”
The Tigers missed their opening shot with Bridgette Knapp snatching the rebound, then East Hardy’s Tera Jones stole the ball.
Union’s Hailee Whitacre swiped the ball back and was fouled before Jones created another steal and Knapp deflected the ball out of bounds to prevent a score.
The Cougars notched the first points of the game as Jones knocked down a jumper at the 6:45 mark, then Union went on an 11-nil run.
An answer came from the Tigers as Whitacre garnered a basket to tie the gam at the 6:18 mark.
East Hardy was whistled for a walk, then Jones collected a defense board and was tied up for a jump ball.
Knapp stole the ball and dished to Olivia Bomboy for the go-ahead layup at 5:08.
The Cougars were penalized for a lane violation, then Union’s Clarissa Chapman hit a jumper for a 6-2 lead at 4:34.
East Hardy’s next field goal attempt ricocheted off the rim and out of bounds, then Perry Whetzel grabbed a defensive rebound.
The Cougars lost the ball and Union missed another shot with Knapp collecting the board.[private]
East Hardy’s Katie Short turned a blocked shot into a jump ball, then the Tigers hit the rim twice with Short fielding the latter rebound and the Cougars missed their opportunity.
Union’s Victoria Seabolt notched a jumper at the 3:09 mark for an 8-2 lead.
Bomboy stole the ball twice around a takeaway by Short before going to the free throw line making one of two attempts.
Seabolt swiped the ball and Chapman collected an offensive rebound drawing a foul in the process leading to two free throws added for an 11-4 advantage.
East Hardy’s Taylor Strawderman stole the ball and dished to Perry Whetzel for a buzzer-beating basket creating an 11-4 score entering the second period.
East Hardy’s Chelsea Keller knocked down a jumper to begin the second period at the 7:48 mark, then stole the ball and the ensuing shot hit the rim with Knapp hauling in the board.
Union’s shot bounced out of play, then the Cougars had three field goals go awry.
Union’s Bomboy drew a foul to add one free throws before collecting a defensive rebound and Whitacre made a jumper for a 14-6 lead at the 5:31 mark.
One minute later, Strawderman netted a basket for the Cougars.
After a foul shot by Chapman, Bomboy stole the ball and was fouled missing the extra bucket.
Jones scored inside the paint for East Hardy with 3:38 remaining in the first half, then the Tigers closed out the time with a 7-nil run led by Knapp scoring four of those points for a 23-10 halftime advantage.
East Hardy commenced the third period with a steal by Makenzie Blair, but a whistle for a walk was made moments later resulting in a jumper by Knapp for the Tigers.
A shot by the Cougars hit the rim and bounced out of bounds, then Blair deflected a pass and Union lost the grip along the sidelines.
Rebecca Whetzel made one of two free throws for the Cougars at the 6:32 mark.
After a deflection by Jones and kicked ball by Whetzel, Union’s Seabolt hit a jumper.
East Hardy’s Tori Pratt collected an offensive rebound, but the ensuing attempt drew iron and Seabolt garnered the board for the Tigers.
Union’s Clarissa Chapman netted an old-fashioned three-point play at the 5:45 mark for a 30-11 lead.
East Hardy’s Emma Heishman made a little hop in the lane resulting in a turnover, then Knapp scored for the Tigers.
Jaden Fleshman scored for the Cougars off an assist from Perry Whetzel at the 4:04 mark trailing 34-13.
Knapp responded with a three-point play just ten seconds afterwards as the Tigers ransacking of the Den continued.
There were a combined ten missed field goals and nine turnovers in the last few minutes of the third period before Union’s Isabella Harvey drilled a 3-pointer with three seconds on the clock for a 40-13 lead.
The Tigers took their largest lead of the game 45-13 with 4:20 remaining in the contest on a free throw by Seabolt.
East Hardy’s Taylor Strawderman collected an offensive rebound and passed to Fleshman for a jumper at 3:35 after a Union turnover.
Heishman stole the ball, but the Cougars failed to convert for points.
East Hardy scored twice in the last two minutes on jumpers by Keller, but the Tigers marched on for a 49-19 victory.
Union’s Bridgette Knapp scored a game-high 13 points, followed by Chapman with nine points.
The Cougars were led by Keller with six points, followed by Jones and Flesman with four markers apiece.
EHEMS 8th grade Girls Basketball defeated Union Middle 27-8 as Jerin Billmeyer paced the Cougars with nine points.[/private]