NEWS
SALTHAWKS TAKE TOURNAMENT TITLE
LAWRENCE – The uglier the game, the more it will benefit the Hutchinson High girls.
The championship game of the Firebird Invitational on Saturday here wasn’t a pretty display for Hutchinson or Shawnee Heights. In other words, the game was just what Hutchinson wanted, as the Salthawks took the title by edging Shawnee Heights 33-30.
“It was a grind-it-out game,” Hutchinson coach Casey Stiggins said. “We battled and grinded it out. We played a lot of girls because we were getting a little tired, and we didn’t shoot it well in the first half, but we hit some huge 3s in the second half.”
Hutchinson trailed 12-7 after one quarter, but Shawnee Heights had the same point total at halftime. Still, Hutchinson trailed 12-11 at the break.
“We held them scoreless in the second quarter but only scored four,” Stiggins said with a laugh.
Some slick 3-point shooting in the second half aided Hutchinson. Jenna Higgins and Shayla DeGarmo each made a pair of 3-pointers, while Jordan Downing made one. DeGarmo led Hutchinson with 14 points.
The Salthawks struggled in the one area they’ve excelled this year – at the free-throw line with the lead in the final minutes. In the fourth quarter, Hutchinson was just 2 of 8 from the line.
The win was Hutchinson’s seventh in a row, and the Salthawks are now 9-3 overall after losing their first two games this season.
“They’re confident right now, but we have some tough games next week,” Stiggins said.
Brad Hallier
The Hutchinson News | 1/31/2015
The Hutchinson News | 1/31/2015