Brytni Dale
HAGERSTOWN, Ind. – Hagerstown Head Girls Basketball Coach Chris Oliger wanted his team to slow down.
The Tigers did and as a result they put together a 40-28 victory over Centerville on their home court to advance to Saturday’s championship game of the Wayne County Tournament. Hagerstown (11-6) plays the winner of Friday’s Lincoln and Northeastern contest as the Tigers look for their third straight title.
Hagerstown led 26-21 after Centerville’s Merissa Ross hit a pair of free throws at 6:16 remaining in the third quarter.
“We had a great stretch right at the end of the third to put us up 13,” Oliger said.
When Oliger called a timeout at the 5:40 mark, he had a question and a simple message for his team.
“We were in such a rush to do everything,” Oliger said. “Why are we in such a hurry to do things? Relax and run an offense.”
“The thing we have to understand is, we don’t have to be in a hurry. It doesn’t matter if you’re up six or you’re up 18, you still don’t have to be in a hurry.”
Hagerstown led 36-23 by the end of the third quarter.
Kaylin Smith
“There was a point in that third quarter, there were three or four possessions, and there was a loose ball and they got an offensive rebound and a put-back,” Centerville Head Coach Jason Searcy said of Hagerstown’s 10-2 run that ended the period.
“Those are the times when you’ve got that 50-50 ball, you’ve got to go get it. They just did a better job of going and getting those balls.”
Brytni Dale led the Tigers with 12 points, while Gabby Willis added 11 points.
Taylor Kelley tossed in 10. Savannah Houck finished with just three points, but she pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
Kaylin Smith led the Bulldogs with 13 points as she grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
“She played well,” Searcy said. “I thought she played with a lof of confidence and shot the ball with confidence. She approached the game very well.”
Centerville (4-11) travels to Shenandoah for its next contest on Tuesday, Jan. 12.
Box Score
HAGERSTOWN (11-6) – Gabby Willis 4 1-2 11, Hannah Rogers 0 1-2 1, Taylor Kelley 5 0-0 10, Brytni Dale 4 2-2 12, Savannah Houck 1 1-2 3, Victoria Pierson 1 1-2 3, Beth Jenkins 0 0-0 0, Hailee Garrison 0 0-0 0, Madison Brown 0 0-0 0, Lacee Dale 0 0-0 0. Team – 15 6-10 40.
CENTERVILLE (4-11) – Lauren Honkomp 0 2-2 2, Merissa Ross 0 2-3 2, Savanna Kates 1 2-5 4, Kaylin Smith 5 0-0 13, Madilyn Coomes 1 0-0 2, Cassidy Weiss 0 0-0 0, Maggie Curts 1 1-2 3, Alex McFarland 1 0-0 2, Mackenzie Tipton 0 0-0 0. Team – 9 7-12 28.
Hagerstown 17 23 36 40
Centerville 5 15 23 28
3-pointers – Hagerstown 4 (Willis 2, B.Dale 2), Centerville 3 (Smith 3). Rebounds – Hagerstown 41 (Houck 11), Centerville 23 (Smith 6). Turnovers – Hagerstown 20, Centerville 13. Fouls – Hagerstown 10, Centerville 14.