The Panthers invaded the Den and were chased away by the Cougars twice in a doubleheader as East Hardy Girls Basketball stymied the attack with a 58-27 victory and East Hardy Boys Basketball ousted Harman with an 85-35 nightcap win in Baker on Monday.
The Lady Cougars had a close battle to begin the contest and gained separation with an 18-7 lead after the first period, while the East Hardy Boys pounced ahead 26-5 through the opening frame.
Harman Girls Basketball took the initial lead with a free throw by Kaylee Dudley and East Hardy’s Brooke Miller snatched the rebound.
After a few missed opportunities, Miller knocked down a jumper to give the Lady Cougars the lead.
On the next possession, the Lady Panthers traded the lead on a shot by Sheridan Bonner for a 3-2 edge.
After a block by Harman’s Natalie Teter, Miller took the inbound pass from Leanna Basye for a basket regaining the lead at 5:54.
Harman answered with a jumper by Bonner to flip the lead again.
Miller executed an old-fashioned three-point play at 5:24 to put East Hardy on track for a 10-0 run and maintaining the lead for good.
East Hardy’s Julia Hahn made a steal and scored, then the Lady Rams lost the ball out of bounds and Miller assisted Emma Baker for a jumper making it 11-5 at 4:05.
Basye made a defensive rebound and the ball was stolen by Rachel Spencer, then Baker swiped the ball and Bonner made a block prior to Hahn sinking a long range jumper.
A steal by Hahn and a give and take pass to and from Lexi Strawderman led to Hahn nailing a 3-pointer with 42 seconds left in the first period for a 16-7 advantage.
Hahn stole the ball again and passed to Baker for a basket to take am 18-7 lead into the second quarter.
Brett Tharp netted 3-pointers thrice and 15 points in the first period to help guide the Cougars to a 26-5 advantage.
The scoring started with a layup by East Hardy’s Aden Funkhouser, then Casey Connelley snatched rebounds on both ends of the floor and was fouled.
East Hardy’s Drew Kelican assisted Tharp on a 3-pointer during the ensuing possession to go up 5-nil at 7:07.
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Harman responded with a jumper by Clayson Knotts.
Knotts grabbed a rebound and the next shot attempt was off the rim with Tharp collecting the board leading to a layup.
A minute later after both teams drew rim twice, Kelican fed Jesse Dove for a layup.
The Cougars’ pressure forced a turnover out of bounds, then Connelley made a putback for an 11-2 lead at 4:55.
Connelley netted a free throw after a series of missed opportunities, then Tharp grabbed the rebound and drilled a 3-pointer, 15-2.
Harman’s Josh Conti collected a defensive rebound and spun away from the traffic en route to a shot in the paint at 2:22.
Tharp hit the first of two free throw attempts and Knotts hauled in the rebound, but East Hardy’s Adam Baker knocked the ball loose with Dove fielding the ricochet and dishing back to Baker for the layup.
After the Panthers walked, Baker added a jumper.
Harman lost the ball out of bounds, then Dove assisted Tharp on a 3-pointer for a 23-4 lead with 1:02 left in the first period.
A free throw was added by Conti for the Panthers, then East Hardy had a double dribble.
Tharp stole the ball and failed to score with Conti getting the carom, then Baker made a defensive rebound.
East Hardy’s Chance Dove assisted Tharp on a trifecta to lift the Cougars to the 26-5 advantage entering the second stanza.
“Honestly the first half was a little slower than I wanted. You saw 41 points, but it was more turnovers and scoring off turnovers. We were slow in our half-court offense in the first half. I told them to pick it up and we worked on some things in the second half,” East Hardy Boys Basketball Coach Chris Hahn commented.
“A team like that, you want to put them away early that way they can’t try to make a run at you. We came out and did what we needed to do set the tone. Brett gets away from where he’s supposed to be sometimes. Every big guy I’ve ever coached likes to go shoot threes and guard wants to be a big man, but with Brett it is different because he can actually shoot a little bit. I’ll take that from him, he was feeling it tonight. It was good to see, because when he plays with a smile on his face he is really hard to guard.”
Turning back to the girls game, Harman’s Alison Warner hit a 3-pointer after a defensive board by Sheridan Bonner to open the second stanza.
Over the four minutes there was a myriad of turnovers and misses shots, but the Lady Cougars got some free throws from Baker and Hahn before a steal and layup by Harman’s Kaylee Dudley cut the deficit to 21-12 at the 3:40 mark.
After Harman got a defensive board, East Hardy’s Lexi Strawderman stole the ball and scored.
At the two-minute mark, Hahn drilled a 3-pointer and made a steal drawing a foul for one free throw.
Miller collected the rebound off the second free throw miss and made a putback for a 29-12 advantage.
Strawderman knocked down a jumper off an assist from Basye for a 31-12 Lady Cougars lead entering halftime.
Back to the boys basketball game, East Hardy forced a turnover and Connelley netted a jumper as a result.
Kelican collected a defensive rebound and Funkhouser drove to the basket and dished the ball to Cole Swanson, but the shot went off the rim and Funkhouser was there for the putback plus drew the harm.
Swanson grabbed the board, but the ball was stolen by Braydon Huffucu and the ensuing shot was off the mark with Connelley snatching the rebound.
Michael Lambert made a defensive rebound and passed up to Huffucu driving inside for a basket as the Panthers cut the deficit to 30-7 at 6:35.
Swanson grabbed a rebound and the ball was deflected out of play, then three-player screen enabled Kelican to have a clear 3-pointer.
Funkhouser denied a shot and Kelican snatched the ricochet, but the Cougars didn’t score.
Swanson stole the ball and was fouled on the ensuing layup creating a 35-7 advantage at 5:48.
After a 3-pointer by Harman’s Shane Varner, a long distance attempt by East Hardy went awry and the combined tip of two Panthers players and East Hardy’s Baker lifted the ball up into the net so the points were awarded to Baker.
The Panthers got a jumper from Huffucu on the following series.
Jesse Dove grabbed an offensive rebound and dished to Brett Tharp for a basket, then swiped the ball and Andrew Tharp assisted brother Brett on another score for a 39-12 lead at 3:08.
All three Tharp brothers were on the floor at the same time: Brett, Andrew and Bryce.
After a Panthers turnover, Andrew Tharp made an offensive rebound and his shot went off the rim out of bounds.
East Hardy Boys took a 41-15 advantage into the locker rooms and outscored the Panthers 44-20 in the second half.
In the first three minutes of the second half of the girls game, East Hardy went on a 6-0 run with jumpers from Strawderman, Miller and Basye with assists by Miller and Hahn (2) for a 37-12 lead.
The Lady Panthers finally found the hoop after four attempts landing a 3-pointer off the hands of Natalie Teter at 4:44.
Sheridan Bonner blocked a shot and Teter collected a rebound, then Bonner scored on a putback.
The Lady Cougars answered with a 3-pointer by Basye for a 40-17 lead with 3:46 left in the third period.
Miller made defensive rebound and was fouled, then Baker assisted Hahn on a perimeter basket.
Strawderman swiped the ball and netted a breakaway layup to extent the Lady Cougars advantage, 45-17.
Harman’s Bonner and Alison Warner made rebounds before a foul was drawn which setup two free throws for Warner.
East Hardy’s Julia Hahn made a leaping save near the scorer’s table, then Tera Jones forced a jump ball and the Lady Panthers lost the ball out of bounds on their possession arrow.
Strawderman knocked down a 3-pointer to put East Hardy up 48-19 to close the third period.
One second half highlight for the Lady Cougars was bench reserve Tera Jones collecting nine rebounds with most coming on the defensive end.
East Hardy edged out the Lady Panthers 10-8 in the fourth period for a final score of 58-27.
Julia Hahn scored a game-high 17 points for the Lady Cougars, followed by Lexi Strawderman with 15 points and Brooke Miller recorded a double-double of 13 points and ten rebounds.
Harman was led by Sheridan Bonner with nine points, followed by Alison Warner with eight points.
Opening the second half of the boys contest, the Panthers’ Josh Conti drilled a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 41-18.
East Hardy answered with a 12-1 run to create a 53-19 cushion with four minutes remaining in the third stanza.
During the run, Funkhouser hit one free throw and made a steal leading to a layup.
Jesse Dove netted a jumper and scored an old-fashioned three-point play with both opportunities starting with a defensive rebound by Connelley.
Kelican pitched in with two free throws on that burst of points.
Harman’s Clayson Knotts made a putback with just under four minutes left on the clock.
After missed shots in both directions, Brett Tharp collected a rebound on defense.
Connelley assisted Dove on an outside jumper, then the Panthers responded with a basket by Clayton Eye.
Tharp netted a putback, then Funkhouser stole the ball and passed to Tharp for another field goal crating a 59-23 advantage at 2:35 and the Cougars sent in more subs.
Andrew Tharp made a steal and scored with 35 seconds left in the third period for a 61-25 advantage.
The starters came back in to begin the fourth period and East Hardy’s attempt bounced off the rim and out of bounds.
Knotts scored for the Panthers on the ensuing series.
Connelley drew a foul and netted both free throws for the Cougars, then Funkhouser stole the ball and was fouled on the way to the hoop and connected on both charity stripe baskets at 6:35, 75-27.
A trap by Kelican and Funkhouser forced a walk, then Connelley scored on the next possession.
Brett Tharp made a defensive rebound and assisted Connelley on a basket for a 69-27 lead at the 5:55 mark.
Harman got baskets by Knotts and Conti over the minute and change before Adam Baker hit a jumper for the Cougars.
The Panthers lost the ball out of bounds, then Conti stole the ball back and his shot was blocked by Andrew Tharp.
Jared Teter collected a rebound and hit a jumper to make it 71-33 with 3:18 remaining.
East Hardy’s Seth Smith snatched an offensive rebound and passed out to Swanson for a 3-pointer.
Swanson collected a defensive board and tossed to Andrew Tharp for a layup.
Swanson made another rebound and the ball was stolen by Harman’s Knotts leading to a field goal.
The Cougars answered with a 3-pointer by Smith, then Smith swiped the ball and dished to Andrew Tharp, who finished an old-fashioned three-pint play with a minute to go for an 82-35 lead.
Swanson grabbed a rebound and a walk was called on Smith, then Swanson blocked a shot.
Swanson drilled a trifecta with 15 seconds left and stole the ball in the closing moments as the Cougars won 85-35.
Brett Tharp scored a game-high 25 points for East Hardy, followed by Connelley with 11 markers, and Dove and Funkhouser added nine points apiece.
Clayson Knotts led the Panthers with 13 points, followed by Josh Conti with seven points.
The Cougars protected the Den in the battle of the cats in both contests.
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