By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
sports@thevillagereporter.com
STRYKER (January 30, 2025) – The Panthers have been playing undermanned all season with six girls on their roster. That number was five for Thursday night’s BBC tilt with Hilltop.
Those five were up to challenge though as Stryker used a solid first quarter and a defense that held Hilltop to just 9/37 from the field in a 31-23 triumph over the Cadets.
Hilltop senior Libbie Baker got the Cadets off to a fast start with a layup and an offensive rebound bucket for a 4-0 lead.
Abby Oberlin would get Stryker on the board and Aubrey Clemens later hit a triple from the right wing to knot the game at 5.
Baker went coast-to-coast for a hoop to put Hilltop back in front 7-5, their last lead of the night. A 7-0 Stryker run ended the quarter as Clemens hit a jumper in the lane, Reiss Creighton buried a three, and Anna Donovan scored on a putback to give Stryker a 12-7 advantage.
Baker recorded a field goal to open the second frame before the Panthers put together a 7-2 spurt to end the half.
Grace Froelich had a 2/2 trip to the foul line followed by Oberlin draining a trey from the left corner and Donovan scored inside to give Stryker a 19-11 lead at the break.
Stryker would get their first double digit lead of the game in the third as another bucket by Donovan and two more free throws from Froelich extended the lead to 23-12.
Elena VanArsdalen tried to keep Hilltop close with a triple, Hilltop’s only field goal of the quarter, but Froelich answered with a bucket in the lane on a spin move for a 25-15 Stryker lead after three quarters.
The first points of the fourth didn’t come until 4:01 left in the game when Sophia Crossgrove scored in the lane on a curl move and Kennedy Bailey added a bucket off a Stryker turnover to trim the deficit to 25-19.
Baker and Donovan traded field goals to make it a 27-21 game before the Panthers would go 4/6 at the charity stripe to close out the win.
Donovan finished with nine for Stryker and Oberlin added eight. Baker led all scorers with 13.
The Hilltop loss secured an outright BBC title for the Montpelier Locomotives, who defeated Pettisville 47-41.
HILLTOP (23) – Dickinson 1; Routt 2; Baker 13; VanArsdalen 3; Bailey 2; Connolly 0; Crossgrove 2; Totals: 8-1 4 – 23
STRYKER (31) – Froelich 6; Oberlin 8; Creighton 3; Clemens 5; Donovan 9; Totals: 7-3-8 – 31
HHS 7 4 4 8 – 23
SHS 12 7 6 6 – 31
GAME STATISTICS
HILLTOP: FG – 9/37 (24%); FG – 4/6 (67%); Rebounds – 22 (10 offensive); Turnovers 9; STRYKER: FG – 10/28 (36%); FT – 8/11 (73%); Rebounds – 20 (7 offensive); Turnovers – 11