Lady Hatchets get impressive win

Todd Lancaster, Washington Times-Herald, Ind.
·3 min read

Jan. 4—The Washington Lady Hatchets took a big step forward with a come-back win on Tuesday in the Hatchet House. The Lady Hatchets (10-6) turned a four-point halftime deficit into a nine-point, 47-38 win over conference leading Southridge.

The loss was Southridge's first of the year in the PAC and pushed WHS into a tie for second (6-1).

Washington used seven treys, three each from Aubrey Frank and Chloe Browning, to help spur the comeback. Browning ended the night with 11 and 10 from Frank.

"Tonight gave us a great opportunity to grow up. There were times when we bent tonight but didn't break. Chloe gave us a great start and Aubrey finished up for us. I thought (Gilley) gave us some great physical play out there as well," said WHS coach Gretchen Miles.

WHS opened the scoring as Katie Reed picked up a basket off a steal and added a trey and a bucket to give WHS a 7-4 lead. The game was knotted at 9-9, when Browning nailed her second trey, but Southridge was able to push out a 13-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

A Southridge basket was the only scoring for the first 3:30 of the second, but reed cut it to 14-15. Hayleigh Cummins took a charge to stop a Raider threat and Frank added a 3-ball to cut it to 17-19, but Southridge was able increase its lead to 21-17 at the half.

Reed stepped up and out with a with trey and a defensive stop on the next possession. Frank gave WHS a 23-21 lead and the added another deep ball to make it 28-25. Madi Dalton also added a basket and Ella Williams made a pair of free throws, but it was Olivia Gilley's 3-point play that gave WHS a two-point lead. After free throw from Cummins. WHS was able to take a 34-33 lead into the final eight minutes.

WHS got a pair of buckets from their bigs, Reed and Gilley, but Southridge was still able to keep it to within one. Frank continued her 3-point success and WHS was up 41-37. Cummins added a long 2-point basket to make it 43-37, WHS's biggest lead of the night. Williams added a free throw to make it 44-38, as WHS shot throws in the final :30 from Shay Hawk to ice the 47-38 win.

Also scoring for WHS was Katie Reed with nine, Gilley with seven, three from Cummins and Williams and two each from Hawk and Dalton.

Southridge was led by Molly Schwartz with 14.

WHS hosts Pike Central on Thursday in the Hatchet House.

The Hatchets took the JV contest, 48-22. WHS was led by Breah Eskew with 10, Kenna Garland with 10, Ella with seven and Maliyah Thorne with six at the top of the scorebook.

With the win WHS moved to 10-4-1.