Moorefield Girls Basketball buzzed to a 15-nil lead commencing the Hardy Girls Hardwood Showdown and set traps to ensnare the Cougars forcing 32 turnovers creating a 71-22 victory over East Hardy in the Hive last Thursday.
“We want to create pressure on the offense. We might not get the initial steal, but we keep coming at you and that wears on a team,” Moorefield coach Paul Keplinger remarked.
“With our length and athletic ability we started using this defense midway through the year. It’s good to be able to change the defense to attack the offense with different looks.”
There were two jump balls in the opening minute of the contest and a steal by Moorefield’s Cherish Moore prior to Anna Riggleman going to the free throw line missing both attempts and East Hardy’s Chelsea Keller grabbed the rebound.
After a foul during a trap, the Cougars walked in the next trapping situation.
Moore netted the initial point of the game at the free throw line for the Yellow Jackets at the 6:34 mark.
East Hardy’s Katee Short snatched the board and Moorefield’s Lexi Gilhuys deflected the pass out of bounds moments before making a steal and dashing in for a layup at 6:22, 3-nil.
Moorefield’s Lindsey Rinker came away with a steal on a trap and completed an old-fashioned three-point play just [private]11 seconds later.
Gilhuys swatted the ball and Riggleman collected the ricochet for another turnover, then Moore grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Riggleman for a jumper at 5:51, 8-0.
East Hardy (5-13) missed three consecutive shots with rebounds by Tera Jones and Keller coming before an inbound violation turnover and the Yellow Jackets (9-11) hit the rim on their possession.
Gilhuys swiped the ball and was fouled going to the basket, then added one free throw and Short collected the carom.
After a foul by Moorefield during a trap, Rinker stole the ball and passed to Gilhuys, who drew a foul and made both charity stripe shots for an 11-0 advantage.
Two jump balls sandwiched a miss by Moorefield before the Cougars lost the ball out of play and Riggleman was fouled leading to a pair of free throws.
There was a jump ball called prior to a block by East Hardy’s Taylor Strawderman which was recovered by Gilhuys scoring as a result at 3:04 to go up 15-nil.
Over the next two minutes, Moorefield missed four field goals and the Cougars committed two turnovers in addition to a block by Moorefield’s Gianna Fair.
East Hardy’s Jaden Fleshman netted a jumper off an assist from Perry Whetzel with 34 seconds left in the first period.
Strawderman hauled in a defensive rebound and was fouled leading to one free throw made with three seconds on the clock as the Cougars trailed Moorefield 15-3.
Riggleman and Rinker teamed up for a steal to begin the second period setting up a score by Gilhuys.
The Yellow Jackets set a trap forcing a turnover and Rinker assisted Riggleman on a layup at 7:12 for a 19-3 lead.
Moorefield’s Madison McGregor made a steal on a trap with Riggleman and was fouled on the ensuing possession creating two more points on the line.
The Cougars walked under the pressure of a trap, but Moorefield missed the field goal and East Hardy’s Makenzie Blair collected the board.
Jones drew a foul and added one free throw for the Cougars at the 6:20 mark, 21-4.
A minute later after a couple jump balls and one turnover both ways with the latter a steal by McGregor setup Moore for a Yellow Jackets basket.
A defensive rebound was snatched by Jones, but Moorefield’s Sterling Kump stole the ball and was sent to the free throw line adding one more point.
A steal and score by Moore put the Yellow Jackets ahead 26-4 at the 3:52 mark.
McGregor deflected a pass and made a save along the sideline, but Blair recovered then all for the Cougars.
East Hardy’s next field goal attempt hit the rim and went out of play.
Rinker drilled a 3-pointer for Moorefield on the ensuing series at the 3:04 mark.
After a walk by the Cougars, Moorefield missed three shots with possession staying alive on rebounds by Riggleman and Fair with the latter creating a foul as Fair netted one free throws at 2:22.
After a rebound by East Hardy’s Fleshman, Moorefield’s Kaleigh Hunt collected a defensive rebound and passed to Gilhuys, who was fouled and made both foul shots for a 32-4 lead at 2:02.
East Hardy’s Gabreanna Miller lost the ball off her foot during a trap, then collected a defensive rebound and the Cougars passed the ball out of another trap out of bounds.
During a trap, Moorefield’s Isabelle Nesbit made a dive for the ball and was fouled, then made one free throw.
Jones made a rebound and the ball was stolen by Nesbit making a saving pass to Hunt leading to a score.
Hunt collected a defensive rebound and made a basket with ten seconds left in the first half giving the Yellow Jackets a 37-4 lead at the break.
Starting the second half, East Hardy’s Chelsea Keller grabbed a defensive rebound and two offensive rebounds before netting a putback at the 7:25 mark.
Keller fouled Riggleman, who missed the free throws and Keller made another rebound prior to a walk.
McGregor knocked down a 3-pointer for the Yellow Jackets at the 6:38 mark.
Rinker swiped the ball and the ensuing shot hit the rim, but Moore was there for the rebound and contact on a block attempt by Short for one free throw added.
Moore denied a shot and took the ball down the court drawing a foul and netting both free throws for a 43-6 advantage.
Jones and McGregor snatched rebounds, then Gilhuys was fouled and notched both foul shots.
After a jump ball, East Hardy’s Taylor Strawderman nailed a jumper.
Moorefield responded with a 3-pointer by Gilhuys creating a 40-point lead over the Cougars at the 4:52 mark, 48-8.
Strawderman drew a foul on the next possession adding two free throws.
Jones made a steal for the Cougars and drew a foul leading to two more markers on the line.
The Yellow Jackets missed four field goals with rebounds by McGregor, Rinker and Riggleman with the latter developing into an assist as Nesbit netted a basket at 3:54.
Strawderman sandwiched two jumpers around a shot by Fair for a 52-16 score with 2:28 remaining in the third period.
Strawderman and Fair recorded blocked shots before a shot from Nesbit put Moorefield up 54-16 heading into the final stanza.
A steal by East Hardy’s Gabreanna Miller passing to Katee Short, who assisted Tera Jones on a layup at the 6:25 mark cut the deficit to 54-18.
After a back-court violation, Moorefield’s Sterling Kump swiped the ball and was fouled leading to a free throw shooting opportunity with both shots going awry.
The Yellow Jackets trapping worked again as Hunt stole the ball and garnered the breakaway layup at 4:54.
Strawderman collected an offensive rebound for the Cougars and netted the basket at 3:46.
McGregor added two free throws for Moorefield on the following series.
Gilhuys clocked a shot and Hunt stole the ball feeding Gilhuys for an old-fashioned three-point play at the 3:18 mark to extend the Yellow Jackets lead 61-20.
McGregor grabbed a defensive rebound and was fouled, then made both charity stripe buckets.
Hunt snatched a defensive board and East Hardy’s Emma Heishman blocked a shot.
Moorefield responded with a 3-pointer by McGregor for a 66-20 score with 2:42 left.
Miller notched one free throw on the next Cougars possession, then Whetzel stole the ball and the ensuing shot hit the rim with Rinker collecting the board leading to her own field goal.
The Yellow Jackets notched three more points in the final minute and change by Hunt and Miller added a free throw for East Hardy as Moorefield closed out the 71-22 victory.
Gilhuys guided the Yellow Jackets with 19 points, followed by McGregor with a dozen points.
Strawderman paced East Hardy with 11 points.
Moorefield visits Tucker County tonight and hosts Allegany tomorrow for the regular season finale and senior night.[/private]
The Cougars host Pendleton County tomorrow for the regular season finale.
