Linton/HMB girls' hoops gets 54-40 D2 tourney win over Napoleon/G-S
Feb. 9—JAMESTOWN — The No. 2-seeded Linton/Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock girls' basketball team hit a three at the third-quarter buzzer that turned a three-point lead into a six-point lead. They used that momentum to get a 54-40 win over Napoleon/Gackle-Streeter during the District 2 tournament on Friday, Feb. 9, at the Jamestown Civic Center.
The Imperials (6-14) started the game out well as they took an early 9-5 lead. The Lions were able to fight back into it and cut the deficit to 11-8 heading into the second quarter. Moments into the second frame, the Lions' Brooklyn Schumacher hit a three to push her team in front 13-11. The teams traded the lead back and forth through the remainder of the second quarter as the Lions went into the half up 21-20.
"We came out excited to play," Imperials head coach Paul Erbele said. "It's been a couple weeks, we were looking forward to this game for a while. We had a good game with them during the regular season. The girls just wanted to get on the court. So, the energy was good and we were moving defensively, boxing out well, that got us going."
The game continued to be tight throughout until the Imperials hit a three to cut their deficit to 33-30. The Lions (15-5) got a game-changing play at the buzzer as Amber McCrory splashed a corner three to push the lead out to 36-30.
"That was really important," Lions head coach Michael Schirado said. "In a close game, every shot's important but they had a chance to really get some momentum there and then Amber's a shooter for us. I thought she drove too much in the first half and her job is to hit threes for us and so she got that with confidence and I'm just super proud of her, that was a huge shot."
The three started a run in which the Lions were able to stretch the lead out to 45-35 before a three from the Imperials cut the deficit to 45-38. The Lions kept it up though as they were able to get the 14-point win.
The Lions return to the court at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, when they take on Edgeley/Kulm-Montpelier. The Imperials look to bounce back at 3 p.m. on Feb. 10, when they take on Ellendale.
N-G-S 40, L/HMB 54
N/G-S: 11 9 10 10 — 40
L/HMB: 8 13 15 18 — 54
Points leaders:
N/G-S: Teagan Erbele 13, Ali Gross 11, Aliyah Schwartzenberger 9
L/HMB: Jersey Vogel 21, Emma Weiser 17, Amber McCrory 6
Assists leaders:
N/G-S: Jada Schwartzenberger 2, A. Schwartzenberger 2, Tayton McDowell 2, Erbele 1
L/HMB: Weiser 3, McCrory 3, Allie Dockter 2
Leading rebounders:
N/G-S: Erbele 19, McDowell 6, Gross 6, J. Schwartzenberger 4
L/HMB: Weiser 18, Schumacher 5, Avery VanderVorst 5, Dockter 4
Full bracket is below:
Play in-game:
#9 South Border 68 at #8 Ellendale 76
First Round 2/9:
#8 Ellendale 51 at #1 Edgeley/Kulm-Montpelier 84
#5 Napoleon/Gackle-Streeter 40 at #4 Linton-HMB 54
#7 Medina/Pingree-Buchanan at #2 LaMoure/Litchville-Marion, 6 p.m.
#6 Strasburg-Zeeland at #3 Kidder County, 7:30 p.m.
