By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
East Hardy Girls Basketball senior Brooklynn Tinnell set the new all-time career program scoring record in the third period during a 54-32 loss to the Trojans at Sunrise Summit last Monday.
Tinnell made a steal and breakaway shot to break previous record holder Alicia Sanders career points total of 1,439 to reach 1,440 career points at the 1:08 mark creating history on the hardwood.
“I’m super excited. It’s been my goal since middle school and I am glad to finally get it. It’s been a long time. Without the assets from my teammates I wouldn’t had gotten it. Alicia was my mentor and middle school coach. She kept telling us she wanted one of us to break her scoring record when we got up to high school, so I did it,” East Hardy senior Brooklynn Tinnell commented.
Tinnell led the Cougars with a game-high 16 points and currently has 1,444 career points with more games left to add to the total, while Chloe Miller pitched in a dozen points.
Hampshire was paced by Kendyl Stewart with 13 points and Della Knight with 12 points.
“[Brooklynn] Tinnell hasn’t missed a game in four years That’s what a coach likes to have. Need more players like those two [Brooklynn Tinnell and Chloe Miller]. I am pretty proud of Brooklynn. She put in a lot of time and hard work to reach this goal,” East Hardy coach Calvin Mongold noted.
Hamsphire played lockdown defense limiting Tinnell to just four points in the first half, then Tinnell was able to find a rhythm in the second half and surpassed the career points milestone.
Hampshire started the game with a 3-pointer by Ava Call.
Both teams hit the rim, then the Trojans lost the bal out of bounds.
East Hardy’s Chloe Miller collected an offensive rebound, then Call swiped the ball and drew a foul leading to two free throws at 6:27.
The Cougars got on the board as Brooklyn Miller dished to Addison Armentrout for a jumper on the ensuing possession at 6:05, 5-2.
Hampshire answered with a bucket from Della Knight.
East Hardy came back with a layup by Chloe Miller to cut the deficit to 7-6 at 4:59.
The Trojans responded with a perimeter shot by Stewart.
The Trojans converted two turnovers into back-to-back 3-pointers by Stewart for a 16-6 advantage with 2:34 left in the first period.
A steal by Hampshire’s Bella Mathias developed into a jumper by Knight for an 18-7 lead with 1:27 left.
East Hardy’s Brooklynn Tinnell stole the ball and drew a foul leading to one free throw made for her first point of the game with 49 seconds remaining in the opening frame trailing 18-7.
Hampshire went on a 10-nil run in the first half of the second period which included a pair of 3-pointers by Mathias and Makialey Shaffer, plus field goals from Call and Stewart, while the Cougars hit the rim four times and committed six turnovers during that stretch compared to four blunders by the Trojans.
East Hardy stopped the run with a perimeter basket by Chloe Miller at 3:28, 28-10.
The Trojans answered with a long range jumper from Shaffer on the ensuing series.
Tinnell knocked down a 3-pointer for the Cougars with 17 seconds left in the second period to cut the deficit to 30-13 entering halftime.
The Trojans extended the lead to 33-13 in a span of six seconds to commence the third period as Brooklyn Klavuhn netted a layup and a steal by Stewart created a point on the line.
East Hardy responded with a trifecta from Tinnell at 7:26, 33-16.
Hampshire’s Della Knight recorded three field goal in under a minute with help of a penalty and turnover for a 39-16 advantage with 5:04 remaining in the third period.
East Hardy’s Chloe Miller made a block and steal before drawing two fouls and reaching the charity stripe to add two markers at 4:14.
Hampshire answered with a jumper by Knight, then both teams hit the rim before Mathias found the net from the perimeter line extending the lead to 44-18 at 2:25.
The Cougars forced a turnover and Tinnell drew a foul and made one foul shot, then Chloe Miller swiped the ball and dished to Tinnell for a layup a 1:17.
Tinnell stole the ball and broke the East Hardy career scoring record with the ensuing bucket in the paint at 1:08.
East Hardy coach Calvin Mongold called a timeout and the team presented Tinnell with a special banner recognizing the career point record accomplishment.
Hampshire held a 44-23 lead entering the fourth period.
Tinnell added two free throws and a jumper in the final stanza for the Cougars, while Chloe Miller garnered a putback and 3-pointer.
Tinnell made a steal to close out the game as the Trojans emerged with a 54-32 win on the milestone night.
