Crisp girls earn 3-0 sweep of Lady Hornets

One fact will stick for the remainder of the high school basketball

season: the Westfield Lady Hornets could not beat defending GISA Class A

champion Crisp Academy.

The third of three tries took place Thursday, and in the

first one staged in Perry the Lady Wildcats eked out the victory in overtime,

62-61, for a 3-0 sweep.

Crisp’s senior forward Madi Mitchell had 31 points, including

an overtime three-point play that gave the game its ninth lead change. With the

visiting team ahead 61-59, Westfield went to the foul line and promptly tied

the score for the ninth time since the intermission.

At 61-all, it looked like the Lady Hornets had a clean

takeaway. But in the push to get the basketball to the home offensive end, a

scramble ensued on the floor. Coaches were asking for timeout, but what was

called was a foul on Westfield.

Only one of Crisp’s free throws went in, but it was enough as

the Lady Hornets couldn’t get the basketball to go in during the final 14.6

seconds.

Callie Hammerle led the home club with 20 points, 18 of which

were registered in the first half. Off the bench, Chelsea Whaley scored 17

points. Starting forward Valerie McLure netted 12 points, including five in

overtime that gave the Lady Hornets their final lead of the night.

Crisp Academy’s largest advantage all game was five points,

and that was 7-2 in the first quarter when Mitchell displayed her aggression

with the basketball and Westfield starting forward Sydney Ledford had two

personal fouls in just two minutes.

When Whaley checked in, she became the main aggressor with

four quick points and a steal. Crisp had a second five-point edge at 11-6, but

Westfield ended the first quarter on a 7-1 run. Whaley caused a turnover and

converted McKinley Walton’s block, and Hammerle scored four to end it at 13-12.

The Lady Hornets enjoyed their largest lead, six points, four

times in the second quarter. Hammerle scored four early, including a two on the

run after the returning Ledford blocked a shot. Crisp looked to have an open

weak-side shot, but Ledford recovered in time to reject it.

McLure also turned up her aggression, scoring from her own

steal to make it 22-16. When it was 26-20 with less than a minute before

halftime, Mitchell took a lob pass inside for a three-point play. Westfield

patiently used up the last 29 seconds, and Hammerle completed her 18-point

outburst with a 3-pointer at the :02 mark.

As the third quarter began, the Lady Hornet offense turned a

bit cold after Ledford’s baseline move answered a tough basket inside by

Mitchell. The six-point lead would vanish, replaced by a 31-31 tie.

Katlyn Moseley, one of Cass Cassell’s top scorers since

Christmas, had nothing in the first half but broke the tie at the foul line.

Moseley would also be responsible for a fine defensive stop in transition, and

she would later earn her first field goal while driving baseline.

Mitchell put in two offensive rebounds in the quarter, but

one of Westfield’s main rebounders was Walton, who had seven for the game.

Whaley also cashed in a long outlet by Hammerle to keep the game tied.

With five seconds on the clock, Mitchell went to the low

block and used the post move for a one more three-point play. This time it was

the Lady Wildcats taking a lead into a new quarter, 42-40 to start the fourth.

As fast-paced as most of the action in this game was, each

side also executed well in the halfcourt by patiently possessing the basketball

and finding the right shot. McLure, for one, did a lot of dribbling by the

sideline, enough to find Whaley at the start of a 6-0 run. Whaley also assited

McLure’s field goal for a 48-44 lead.

Ledford added two field goals; though CA had key turnovers,

Mitchell was always there for key points.

When it was 52-52, the visitors grabbed a slew of offensive

rebounds and called time at 43.2 seconds. Jay Jay Yawn, with 24 seconds on the

clock, scored the go-ahead points.

Cassell burned two timeouts as his club looked to answer, and

it was Hammerle, scoring for the first time in the half, who leveled the score

at :12, thus resulting in overtime.

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