By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
SWANTON (January 8, 2024) – Hilltop built a lead that grew to as much as 17 points with six minutes left in the game, then had to hold off a furious Swanton rally to score a 49-44 win.
Hilltop’s 6’2 junior Libbie Baker scored 16 consecutive Cadet points in the first half and blocked five Bulldog shots, helping force Swanton into shooting 6-33 from the field as Hilltop took a 24-13 lead into the locker room.
“Libbie is our steadying force out there,” Hilltop coach Troy Grime said. “She is our rock. No doubt about that.”
Swanton began to heat up in the third in the person of Peighton Manning. Manning bagged a pair of long triples and a midrange jumper and the Bulldogs forced seven Cadet turnovers in the third quarter to make an attempt to chop into the Hilltop lead.
However, Baker found Sophia Crossgrove over the top against the press and hit a spinning driving bank, Brynn Rodriguez drained a triple and Kenley Routt scored on a back cut to maintain Hilltop’s 11-point lead at 35-24 after three.
Kelsy Connolly’s fast break hoop and two steals and scores from freshman Kennedy Bailey boosted the margin to 41-24 with 6:21 to go.
“Bales does a great job up there (at the top of the defense),” expressed Grime. “She is lengthy for no bigger than she is, and she is quick.” It’s a good learning experience for her as we move forward.”
From that time, the Bulldogs rallied. Manning hit another triple, a transition layup and a putback, and Alexia Ostrander scored twice after a pair of Hilltop’s 11 fourth quarter turnovers to get the Bulldogs back to within 44-37.
Swanton’s Emma Crow laced four straight free throws around a Baker bucket to make it 46-41 with 49.1 to go.
Hilltop (7-4) righted themselves as Baker and Molly Dickinson nailed 3/4 from the line in the final 19 seconds to offset Olivia Gowing’s late triple.
Baker ended up with 24 points on the night along with 17 rebounds and seven blocked shots.
Manning led Swanton (6-4) with 17, all of those in the second half. Crow chipped in with 10.
HILLTOP (49) – Dickinson 5; Rodriguez 5; Ruut 2; Baker 24; VanArsdalen 0; Bailey 6; Connolly 5; Crossgrove 2; Jones 0; 18-2-7 – 49
SWANTON (44) – Crow 10; Finfera 3; Gowing 6; Ostrander 8; Manning 17; Totals: 11-6-4 – 44
HILLTOP 17 7 11 14 – 49
SWANTON 4 9 11 20 – 44
