AC Rebs take pair from HHS
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 8, 1999
Anytime Huntington and Adams Christian tangle just about anything could happen. But when the smoke cleared Tuesday night it was a hard-earned sweep for the Rebels, as Laurie Ann Davis poured in a team-high 24 points to pace the girls to a 64-45 win over the Lady Hounds.
However, the boys needed Hayden Wadworth’s game-high 23 points and overtime to ward off the pesky Hounds 50-46.
In the opener, turnovers were a big concern for a young Lady Hound squad which starts 4 freshmen and a sophomore.
&uot;We average about 25 turnovers a game. We must to play a full game, not just a few good quarters.&uot; said coach Penny Moak.
At tipoff, Huntington surprised the Lady Rebels with a number of zone pressure sets which ignited their running game. Lady Hound forward Emily Hazlip, who finished with a team-high 24 points, just could not miss in the first half.
Huntington led 10-9 at the end of one period.
ACCS’ Davis would begin to catch fire in the second period, but Huntington’s Sarah Ashmore always seemed to have an answer.
The hosts would have their first lead of the night with a pair of Amanda Walker free throws, flipping the lead to 24-22.
The stunned Lady Rebels ran into the lockerroom only up 26-24 on the underdogs from Concordia Parish.
Huntington started the second half on a furious 9-0 run lead by Tessa Taunton and Hazlip, with the upset-minded Lady Hounds up 37-28 with 2:30 remaining in the third.
A Rebecca Rabb 3-pointer and free throws from Brandi Case kept the Lady Rebels in striking distance setting up an exciting final quarter.
In the final frame, Holli Hankins would hit a three and then seconds later Davis would score four points cutting the margin to 42-41.
Bethany Gamberi, who finished with 10 points, added a three-pointer as the hosts went on a 14-0 run leaving the young Lady Hounds looking for answers.
Gamberi scored 18 against Silliman Monday.
ACCS would outscore the shell-shocked visitors 27-4 in the fourth to put the game out of reach.
&uot;We were surprised how they came out tonight,&uot; Davis said. &uot;They all played hard and gave us a tough fight. But the fatigue of back-to-back games showed in our execution.&uot;
In the nightcap, both teams came out cold and sloppy as the first three minutes saw no scoring.
AC led by six points at halftime.
Thanks to Huntington’s Eric Smith, who finished with 20 points, the Hounds kept the deficit at six points most of the second half.
The Hounds would force overtime with a Smith layup with four seconds in regulation, worrying the partisan crowd.
However, it was Trey Mardis’ three points in overtime that highlighted a turnover-plagued extra period.
A few Ryan Davis free throws would ice the win as Huntington only managed two points in the period.