ROME TOWNSHIP, Ohio - Most high school girls basketball teams dread playing Huntington High. Alexander requested to play the Highlanders and almost upset them.
HHS (12-0), ranked second in West Virginia Class AAA, trailed most of the game before rallying to defeat the Spartans 57-50 in the Tri-State Hoops Throwdown Saturday at Fairland High School's Carl York Center.
Albany, Ohio-based Alexander (11-4), which would be a Class A team if in West Virginia, used a 32-point performance by Leah Richardson to challenge the Highlanders.
Not until Dazha Congleton scored with 5:26 to play to give Huntington High a 44-42 lead did the Highlanders take a lead they never gave back.
"We gutted it out and won at the end, but it wasn't a thing of beauty," HHS coach Lonnie Lucas said. "We weren't executing very well. It happens. The big thing is we didn't quit."
Lucas complimented Richardson, who went-10-for-26 from her point guard position. Rachel Richardson helped her with 10 points. Jala Mace snared 13 rebounds.
"She can play," Lucas said of Leah Richardson. "We knew they were a good team. They basically have something for everything you try to do to them."
Both teams shot poorly. The Spartans made 16 of 45 shots (35.5 percent).
Huntington High made 22 of 62 shots (35.4 percent). Ericka Budd led the Highlanders with 17 points on 8-for-14 shooting and pulled down 16 rebounds. Her teammates combined to make just 14 of 48 shots. Huntington High also was a dismal 10-for-26 from the free throw line.
The Highlanders return to action at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Riverside.
ALEXANDER 13 14 11 12 - 50: Mace 2-2 0-0 2-3 6, L. Richardson 10-26 2-7 10-12 32, Rice 0-2 0-0 0-0 0, Hudnall 0-2 0-1 0-0 0, R. Richardson 3-10 2-6 2-4 10, Mohler 0-1 0-1 0-0 0, Meeks 1-2 0-0 0-0 2. Totals: 16-45 4-15 14-19 50.
HUNTINGTON HIGH 16 7 14 20 - 57: Turner 3-8 1-2 0-2 7, Harmon 0-2 0-0 0-0 0, Crawford 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Sheffield 1-9 1-4 5-6 8, Congleton 4-15 1-3 1-9 10, Dawson 6-14 0-0 1-4 13, Budd 8-14 0-0 1-3 17, Em. Foley 0-0 0-0 2-2 2. Totals: 22-62 3-9 10-26 57.
CABELL MIDLAND 64, NELSONVILLE-YORK 50: Haley Haggerty scored 19 points and Faith Craddock 17 as the Knights (7-5) defeated the Buckeyes (11-4) in the Tri-State Hoops Throwdown.
Cabell Midland never trailed against the Southeastern Ohio small-school traditional power.
Craddock's basket with 2:53 left in the third quarter gave the Knights their largest lead at 35-17. Nelsonville-York whittled the deficit to as few as four points with six minutes to play, but moved no closer.
"We played very well," Cabell Midland coach Matt Adkins said. "They made a run and we held together. Nelsonville-York is a good team. It took a team effort to beat them."
Adkins said he was pleased with his seniors, McKenzie Dillon, Summer Stephenson and Haggerty for their leadership in the game.
He also said the younger Knights performed well, especially since Cabell Midland made 18 of 35 shots (51.4 percent) and 26 of 36 free throws (72.2 percent). The Knights forced 19 turnovers and committed just 14 and outrebounded the Buckeyes 30-20.
Kaitlyn Hurd led Nelsonville-York with 13 points. Camrin Dupler scored 12 points and Jessie Aldis added 10.
Cabell Midland will try to extend its win streak to three games at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday when it plays host to Point Pleasant.
NELSONVILLE-YORK 5 9 11 25 - 50: Dupler 4-15 4-14 0-0 12, H. Taylor 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Aldis 3-13 2-7 2-4 10, McCullogh 1-5 0-1 0-0 2, Henderson 0-1 0-0 0-0 0, Campbell 1-4 0-0 6-7 8, S. Taylor 1-6 1-3 0-0 3, S. Fick 0-0 0-0 0-2 0, J. Fick 0-0 0-0 2-2 2, Hurd 5-10 0-0 3-4 13. Totals: 15-52 7-25 13-19 50.
CABELL MIDLAND 13 13 13 25 - 64: Haggerty 3-8 2-5 11-14 19, Bennett 2-2 0-0 4-6 8, Craddock 6-9 0-0 5-8 17, Stephenson 1-6 0-0 4-4 6, Dillon 1-2 0-0 0-0 2, Waugh 2-4 0-0 1-2 5, Womack 3-4 0-0 1-2 7. Totals: 18-35 2-5 26-36 64.
SOUTH WEBSTER 72, SPRING VALLEY 61: The smallest school in the Tri-State Hoops Throwdown knocked off one the the bigger ones as the Jeeps defeated the Timberwolves.
Sophomore Ellie Jo Johnson scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for South Webster (12-1). Kacie Hall, who has signed to play at NCAA Division I Presbyterian College, scored 15 points and Cheyenne Weakley chipped in 14.
Karlee Alderman made 7 of 8 shots, scored 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead Spring Valley (9-4). Alex Petry scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Morgan Vaughn scored 10 points.
Johnson sank two free throws with 1:47 left in the first period to give the Jeeps a lead they never relinquished. Spring Valley visits Ripley at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
SOUTH WEBSTER 16 20 17 19 - 72: E. Johnson 6-10 1-2 13-18 26, Hall 6-11 1-1 2-4 15, Stamper 1-2 0-0 1-2 3, K. Johnson 3-6 2-4 1-2 9, Zempter 2-2 1-1 0-0 5, Weakley 4-12 1-3 5-6 14. Totals: 22-43 6-11 22-32 72.
SPRING VALLEY 12 17 19 15 - 61: Caldwell 3-10 2-6 0-0 8, Petry 5-11 4-6 0-0 14, Adkins 2-8 1-5 0-0 5, Alderman 7-8 1-2 0-0 15, Vaughn 3-9 3-7 1-3 10, Mathis 4-6 0-0 1-2 9, Darby 0-3 0-2 0-0 0, Berry 0-1 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 24-56 11-33 2-5 61.
