By STEPHEN FORSHA

The Times-Gazette

The McClain Lady Tigers continued their undefeated run on Saturday night, as they defeated cross-county rival Hillsboro 53-26 at the Patriot Center.

McClain improved to 5-0 with the South Central Ohio League victory, setting up a game this coming Friday with the undefeated and reigning SCOL champion Miami Trace Lady Panthers at McClain High School.

“Miami Trace has been at the top of the SCOL since it has reformed and they always play hard,” McClain head coach Dennis Overstake said. “We are going to have to play hard on both ends of the court and we are going to have to create problems for them.”

But to get to the matchup of the top two teams in the league, McClain had to take on its county rival.

“I didn’t think we had any consistency as a team,” Overstake said. “We had a couple people play in spurts on offense and defense, but once we took the press off, we just slowed down.”

Against HHS (0-2, 0-5), MHS gave up the first points of the game at the 6:49 mark, when Hillsboro junior Shelby Coyle netted a layup, giving the Lady Indians an early two-point lead.

After the jumper by Coyle, MHS went into attack mode, scoring the next 18 points, starting with a 3-pointer from junior Shelby Buck at the 6:15 mark of the quarter.

McClain then added two points with a layup by junior Kate Hammond, followed with a steal and bucket by Buck, making the score 7-2.

With a five-point lead, MHS continued to add to their advantage with another bucket from Hammond, which came from a pass by senior Evann Gabriel.

Leading 9-2, MHS senior Lyndi Seely drilled a 3-pointer, followed with two free throws by Hammond, increasing the Lady Tigers’ lead to 14-2 with 3:53 remaining in the opening quarter.

MHS junior Cortney Hyer added to the lead with a steal, scoring on a fastbreak layup, then added another two points with another basket, making the score 18-2.

Hillsboro’s Kaelee Sexton stopped the 18-point run by McClain with a free throw conversion at the 1:58 mark.

“We got down early 18-3 but we beat their press and got the shots we wanted, but just didn’t make them,” Hillsboro head coach Herb Mihalik said.

The Lady Tigers continued to control the scoring in the second, as junior Alex Taylor made a basket, followed with a long-range jumper from Hyer. MHS senior Samantha Crabtree made the score 24-3 with a shot from the corner.

Hillsboro’s junior Paij Shelton ended the 6-0 run by MHS with a jumper from the corner at the 4:07 mark of the second. Coyle cut into the MHS lead with a 3-pointer at the 3:44 mark of the first half and Hillsboro added more points with two shots from the free-throw line by junior Heather Storer, making the score 24-10.

After the Lady Indians scored seven straight points, Hammond fired back, scoring the game’s next five points.

Her points were followed by teammate, senior Katie Wilkin, who drilled a 3-pointer with 52 seconds left in the first half.

Hillsboro ended the second quarter with a layup.

In the third, both teams struggled to score points, until Hammond scored the first points of the quarter at the 2:28 mark, making the score 36-12. Hammond led all scorers with a game-high 15 points. The junior also had six boards and four steals.

MHS sophomore Chrissy Cobb made the score 38-12, scoring with 1:26 left in the quarter. Cobb finished the game with 10 points and four steals.

The Lady Indians didn’t score until senior Amanda Price hit a basket with 59 seconds remaining in the third.

HHS junior Megan Barnes made a basket with 7:20 left in the game, then at the 6:12 mark, Coyle converted two free throws, making the score 40-18.

HHS senior Lauren Gunderman scored with less than six minutes remaining, but Crabtree and MHS senior Lesley Faulconer gave the Lady Tigers a 43-20 lead with four minutes left in the game.

HHS senior Kelsey Juillerat scored inside the paint at the 2:10 mark of the final quarter and HHS junior Heather Storer hit a free throw with 1:34 left in the game.

MHS out rebounded the Lady Indians 32-20. Taylor and Faulconer each had five rebounds for McClain.

Hillsboro finished with 21 turnovers (MHS 13).

“We cut down our turnovers and I feel this is a game we can build on,” Mihalik said. “We are just afraid to pull the trigger and take shots. We want them to shoot the ball when they have the open shot.

“Shelby (Coyle) had a good game and she’s starting to shoot the ball like we need her to,” he said. “Heather (Storer) also had a good game taking the ball to the basket.”

The loss drops HHS to 0-5 on the season, 0-2 in the SCOL. McClain jumps to 5-0 overall, 2-0 in the SCOL.

Hillsboro’s game vs. Eastern Brown on Monday was postponed due to weather. HHS will host London on Friday, Dec. 19 at the Patriot Center, in an SCOL contest.

McClain will take on Miami Trace this Friday in league play.

In reserve action, McClain defeated Hillsboro 33-11. Kate Crabtree led MHS with 11 points. Julie Shafer led HHS with five points.

GAME SUMMARY

SCORE BY QUARTERS

MHS - 18 14 6 15 - 53

HHS - 3 9 2 12 - 26

INDIVIDUAL STATS

McCLAIN (53)

S.Crabtree 2 1-2 5, L.Seely 0 (1) 3, K.Wilkin 0 (1) 3, C.Cobb 4 2-3 10, C.Hyer 3 6, K.Hammond 5 5-6 15, S.Buck 2 (1) 7, A.Taylor 1 2, L.Faulconer 1 2. TOTALS: 18 (3) 8-13 53.

HILLSBORO (26)

K.Sexton 1-1 1, P.Shelton 1 2, S.Coyle 2 (1) 2-2 9, L.Gunderman 1 2, H.Storer 4-12 4, M.Barnes 1 0-2 2, K.Juillerat 2 0-2 4, J.Williams 1 2. TOTALS: 8 (1) 7-24 26.

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