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Hancock High School Athletics

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DEFENSE HAS CARRIED HUTCHINSON TO SEVEN STRAI

The secret is out. Hutchinson High girls basketball is no longer a nice little team that causes problems for ranked teams. The Salthawks are now one of those ranked teams. Hutchinson, fresh off winning its midseason tournament at Lawrence Free State, moved into the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association's Class 6A rankings this week at No. 8. For most of the past seven seasons, Hutchinson has looked at its schedule and pointed to the games where it could get a quality win. The Salthawks are now one of those teams where others would consider beating them a caliber win. "Teams might start being a little more prepared for us," senior forward Emily Wessel said. "Before, when we took the court, I think they laughed at us a little bit. They'll be more prepared now." Hutchinson certainly doesn't pass the eye test when taking the court. With no regular player taller than 5-feet, 9-inches, the Salthawks don't have the look of a ranked team. But when the game starts, opponents find out how tough the Salthawks are to beat. Winners of seven straight and now sporting a 9-3 record, the Salthawks have used defense to shake off a 0-2 start. "What we emphasize in practices is defense," second-year Hutchinson coach Casey Stiggins said. "Defense and rebounding. When we break down film, we're telling them where this person should be. If you emphasize nine or 10 points, some kids will get lost. That's why we emphasize two or three things. Mostly, it's defense for us." In seven of their nine wins, the Salthawks have allowed fewer than 40 points. Twice, opponents haven't reached 20 points. Not bad for a team that's been smaller than every opponent. "We try to keep them out of the middle and close out," senior guard Shayla DeGarmo said. "We try to force everyone baseline and hold them to one shot." Hutchinson's defense shined in Lawrence. In three games, Hutchinson allowed 80 points. In Friday's semifinal against 6A No. 5 Free State, Hutchinson gave up 34 points. The next day against Shawnee Heights, the Salthawks allowed 30. The win against Free State may have been the program's biggest win since beating Gardner-Edgerton in the 2007 Class 5A third-place game. "That definitely boosted our confidence," Wessel said. "That made us realize we're top competition." The win against Shawnee Heights may have been more impressive. Instead of enjoying the win against Free State and thinking the tournament was a success, the Salthawks ignored that win the next day. "The last thing I said to them Friday was to be happy, but by the time you go to bed, our focus is Shawnee Heights," Stiggins said. "It wasn't pretty, but we defended and rebounded well." The result was a spot in the state rankings. Still, the Salthawks won't be able to enjoy it much. Today, the Salthawks play 5A No. 4 Andover. Friday, they play at 6A No. 1 Maize. Those games are not just opportunities for the Salthawks to get a marquee win. The games are also chances for Hutchinson's opponents to beat a ranked team. "With these girls, I don't think anything fazes them," Stiggins said. "These girls come to work every day. They aren't satisfied with being 9-3. They know there's still eight games left, and starting Tuesday, it doesn't matter what we did on Saturday."

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