Lady Cats can’t overcome Brownstown
By Brandon Miniard, Sports Writer, [email protected]
Going into the final week of the regular season last week, the North Harrison Lady Cats have struggled to get into the win column, losing six straight since their 55-54 overtime victory over rival Salem on Dec. 16. With their sectional game scheduled for this evening (Wednesday), the Lady Cats looked to break the ice as they hosted rival Brownstown Central to close Mid-Southern Conference play on Thursday.
Senior Molly Coomer opened scoring for both sides with a bucket, but the Lady Braves immediately countered with the sharp shooting of Maddy Hackman, who knocked down four consecutive three-pointers. While Lady Cats’ senior wing Diana Burgher kept her squad close with a triple and two buckets, another basket from Hackman single-handedly put the Lady Braves up 14-9.
The perimeter shot continued to benefit the Lady Braves as Hackman and Hannah Stahl each added a triple in the second quarter. The latter also chipped in a free throw, while Emma Klinge and Andrea Bair scored buckets. The Lady Cats could only counter with three points from freshman forward Lydia Wilkins and a basket from senior guard McKenna Pearson before going into the locker room down 25-14.
The Lady Cats tried to keep pace with six points from Burgher, followed by a triple from junior forward Audrey Tucker and a free throw from senior forward Emma Robertson. The Lady Braves responded with just as many points courtesy of five points from Stahl, a Klinge three and a bucket from Kalee Borden to maintain a 35-24 advantage going into the final quarter.
The hosts continued their efforts to close the deficit with another Tucker triple and Burgher bucket. That’s all the Lady Cats could muster as the Lady Braves had buckets from Hackman and Bair. The pair, alongside Stahl and Jenna Klosterman, combined to go 5 for 10 from the charity stripe to finish off a 44-29 victory.
Hackman led all scorers with 21, 14 of which came in the opening frame. Burgher was the only Lady Cat to reach double figures with a team-high 15 points, followed by six from Tucker.
With the loss, the Lady Cats continue their downward spiral since the mid-season departure of senior guard Ali Saunders, having now lost seven straight. After traveling to face Evansville North in their regular season finale on Saturday, the Lady Cats will return to Ramsey to host the Indiana High School Athletic Association Sectional 30. The Lady Cats will confront Madison Consolidated at 6 p.m. The winner will face the winner of Scottsburg-Silver Creek (Class 3A No. 3) in the sectional semifinals on Friday.
