By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
sports@thevillagereporter.com
PETTISVILLE (February 15, 2024) – Pettisville hit 14/29 from the floor in the first half as they took command early to win a share of their first BBC title since 2017 after knocking off Hilltop 54-29.
Pettisville jumped out to an 8-1 lead after buckets from Hollyn Klopfenstein and Amanda Grimm and then four straight points by Olivia Miller.
A technical foul on Pettisville for a scorebook error, spurred a 6-0 Hilltop run with Libbie Baker going 4/4 from the line and Brynn Rodriguez adding a bucket to trim the Blackbird lead to 8-7.
Becca Strauss would then bury back-to-back triples from the right wing sandwiched around a field goal by Sophia Crossgrove for Hilltop to give the Birds a 14-9 lead.
Pettisville extended their lead with a 7-2 spurt to end the quarter helped by a conventional three-point play by Miller to take a 21-12 lead to the second quarter.
Seven straight points by Pettisville started the second quarter as Strauss hit another three ball, Miller was 2/2 at the line before taking a rebound coast-to-coast for a lay in to make it 28-12 at the 4:45 mark.
Hilltop’s Kelsey Connolly would hit a three-pointer following a Cadet timeout to temporarily stop the momentum at 28-15.
Pettisville (14-8, 6-1 BBC) responded with an 8-0 surge starting with a Grace Crawford layup off a pass from Miller, Grimm added a bucket, and Miller added two more scores to push the lead to 36-15 with 2:30 left in the half.
The scoring pace slowed in the third quarter but Pettisville would build on a 36-17 halftime lead as Kelsey Bennet tripled from the right corner and Lily Wiemken add a free throw to make it 40-17.
Pettisville maintained a 20-25 point lead the rest of the night as any chances of a comeback by Hilltop were hindered by 5/23 shooting in the second half as they would finish 10/45 on the night.
Miller wound up with 19 points to lead Pettisville in scoring and Strauss tallied 11.
Rodriguez topped the Cadets (14-8, 5-2) scoring with 11 while leading scorer Baker was held to just seven points, none in the second half as she battled foul trouble.
Pettisville opens tournament play at home on February 21 against Stryker (11-11) in the sectional semifinals with the winner traveling to Hilltop on February 24 for the sectional final.
HILLTOP (29) – Dickinson 2; Rodriguez 11; Routt 0; Baker 7; VanArsdalen 1; Connolly 3; Crossgrove 5; Lammon 0; Bailey 0; Totals: 7-3-6 – 29
PETTISVILLE (54) – Strauss 11; Klopfenstein 4; Hastings 0; Bennett 3; Grimm 6; G. Remington 0; Fox 0; M. Remington 4; Miller 19; Crawford 6; Wiemken 1; Totals: 16-4-10 – 54
HILLTOP 12 5 5 7 – 29
PETTISVILLE 21 15 8 10 – 54
GAME STATISTICS
HILLTOP: FG – 10/45 (22%); FT – 6/10 (60%); Rebounds – 23 (10 offensive); Turnovers – 21; PETTISVILLE: FG – 20/48 (41%); FT – 10/14 (71%); Rebounds – 33 (12 offensive); Turnovers – 16
JUNIOR VARSITY: Pettisville 26, Hilltop 13
