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Hornet girls "slow" to win over Gallatin, 26-23
Tuesday night’s Grand River Conference contest between Gallatin and Hamilton played like a chess match, with the added touch of strategic time outs, substitutions and play calling.
Gallatin’s girls forced a slow-down pace and nearly pulled off the upset, but the Lady Hornets were able to hit some crucial free throws down the stretch and hold on to a 26-23 victory that kept them unbeaten in league play.
In the end the difference between winning and losing was slight.
The Lady Hornets hit eight shots from the field. The Lady Bulldogs popped in seven shots, two of which were three-pointers. Each team committed eight turnovers. Gallatin held a narrow edge in rebounding, 18 to 13.
At the end of the first quarter, Hamilton held a 4-3 lead. At halftime, Hamilton still led, 8-6.
Foul shots were crucial, and Hamilton used the double bonus well. With the game on the line, Hornet senior guard Raychel Whitaker hit all four of her free throw attempts in the final 32 seconds. Hamilton hit eight of 10 down the stretch, and 10 of 12 for the night, while Gallatin converted seven times in 12 trips to the line.
Whitaker hit both ends of a double bonus to give her team a 24-21 cushion, but Kelsha Bundy popped in a turnaround basket off a lob pass to make it a one-point game. Time out Hamilton.
GHS sophomore Casey Sweatman fouled Whitaker at 11.6 and she coolly dumped in two more free throws. Time out Gallatin.
The Lady Bulldogs brought the ball into play with 9.1 ticks on the clock. Ashley Owens drew a foul but it was only the sixth team foul for the Hornets. Needing a trey to tie, Courtney Ray launched a shot ahead of the buzzer from the right wing, but missed the iron.
Gallatin led, 14-12, at the end of a third quarter that saw four lead changes. The Lady Bulldogs stayed within two points of the lead until Jordan Esry hit a pair of foul shots at 1:48 to give the Hornets a 21-17 advantage.
Bundy rebounded a missed free throw by Adrienne Ford, and Wren Tolen drew a foul on the offensive end. She hit her first attempt (22-20), missed the second but Bundy was there again to rebound and draw yet another foul. Bundy popped in her first attempt (22-21) but missed the second. Owens scrambled for the rebound, but the ball tipped out of bounds off the Lady Bulldogs.
Bundy led the Lady Bulldogs, now 11-5 overall and 1-2 in the conference, with eight points. Tolen finished with six.
Lacy Jones topped Hamilton with six points, followed by Ford and Jessie Woody, each with five.
The Lady Bulldogs hope to even their conference record Friday night when they host the King City Lady Wildkats. Gallatin also hosts Maysville next Tuesday,. and will travel to Polo next Thursday to make up a game cancelled on Jan. 16.