TRIPLE TRY … Hilltop’s Molly Dickinson lets fly from long range in the Cadets 49-45 win over Edon. (PHOTO BY RICH HARDING / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: John Shell
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
WEST UNITY (January 18, 2024) – In a Thursday night BBC girls basketball matchup, the 7-4 Hilltop Lady Cadets hosted the 2-10 Edon Lady Bombers.
Hilltop came into the game boasting a seven-game winning streak and averaging 43 points per game. Edon came to West Unity averaging 39 points per game and hoping to break a two-game losing streak.
The night’s first and last points were scored from the free throw line by Hilltop junior Libbie Baker who was recently recognized for surpassing 1,000 career points earlier this month.
Although Hilltop got out to an early 5-3 lead, Edon’s senior point guard Jaycea Craven put up a three-point shot that hit its mark giving the Bombers a 6-5 lead.
This would be the only time Edon would hold a lead throughout the course of the game. With just a minute and a half on the clock, the Hilltop offense pushed to put more points on the board.
Sophomore Molly Dickinson put up back-to-back triples and freshman Kennedy Bailey hit a fastbreak layup and a long two-point shot to close out the quarter.
The quick-firing Cadet offense had added ten points in less than 90 seconds making the score at the end of the first quarter 15-8.
As the second quarter opened, it was clear Edon’s defense had made some key adjustments. However, Hilltop’s sophomore Eleana VanArsdalen was able to get open behind the three-point line and extend the Hilltop lead to ten.
This was the only field goal the Cadets would score in the quarter.
The Bombers applied a highly effective full-court press that produced nine steals which began to shift the momentum of the game in their favor. They were also able to dominate the second-quarter boards with five rebounds and several blocked shots.
Scoring for the Bombers off a steal was freshman Nevaeh Smith and then with back-to-back layups was sophomore Addison Briner. Grace Ripke would add another jump shot in the final minute to put Edon within one point of the Cadets. Hilltop led Edon by a score of 20-19 going into halftime.
Edon came out of the locker room with a newfound confidence in their ability to disrupt the Hilltop offense. Their defensive efforts had held Hilltop to just four points in the second quarter.
However, Hilltop began to lean on their most effective offensive strategy which was to find ways to get the ball to their scoring weapon, Libbie Baker.
Baker would find the basket on eleven different occasions in the second half and rack up a whopping 24 points for Hilltop.
Edon’s defense created several more turnovers and made it a challenge for Hilltop’s offense to advance the ball up the court.
However, they were not able to produce any points until Natalie Wofford took it in for a layup and then made it a three-point play with a made free-throw to tie the score at 22-22 at the halfway point in the quarter.
Then Hilltop’s Baker responded with a series of free throws and a three-pointer to once again put her team up by seven points.
Wofford was able to penetrate the Hilltop defense for a layup going into the final two minutes of the period. The rest of the quarter was a free throw contest that put five different girls on the line as Hilltop led 35-28 nearing the end of the third quarter.
However, Briner was able to find the hoop and lay it in just before the buzzer sounded to keep the Bombers within five points going into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter was essentially a scoring contest between Baker and the Lady Bomber offense.
Baker would account for 13 of the Cadets 14 points in the quarter with four layups, a three-pointer, and a pair of foul shots.
Edon’s offense had its best scoring production of the game, which was highlighted by two key three-pointers and a layup by Craven.
Scoring efforts by Wofford and Smith also helped to bring the Lady Bombers within two points with less than 30 seconds left in the game.
It appeared that Hilltop was going to attempt to run the clock out, but the Bombers were able to get a critical steal at half-court to give them an opportunity to tie it up with less than 20 seconds on the clock.
However, Hilltop was able to intercept an Edon pass and once again get the ball to Baker who sealed the game from the free-throw line in the final seconds of the game.
EDON (45) -Wofford 12; Craven 11; Briner 9; Smith 9; Gr Ripke 3; Ge Ripke 2; Totals: 12-4-9 – 45
HILLTOP (49) – Baker 27; Dickinson 11; Bailey 4; VanArsdalen 3; Rodriguez 2; Routt 2; Connolly 0; Crossgrove 0; Jones 0; Totals: 11-4-14 – 49
EDON 8 11 11 15 – 45
HILLTOP 15 5 15 14 – 49