Tilghman overcomes HCC

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

MORTONS GAP — Four games in four days can be difficult on a high-school student athlete’s body and although the Hopkins County Central girls basketball team extended its losing streak to seven games, the Lady Storm exhibited the ability to find open shots.

Central (1-7) played visiting Paducah Tilghman (7-1) to a 12-point game at halftime, but the mighty Blue Tornado overcame the Lady Storm for a 65-44 win in the final day of the Hopkins County Central Holiday Classic.

Paducah Tilghman never trailed during the game, but Central threatened to considerably slash its deficit in the first half.

“I thought in the first quarter and some in the second quarter, we were working hard to get into position to get good shots,” coach Jennifer Flener said. “For some reason, we’re just forcing our shots, we’re not squaring ourselves up to the basket … dothink we were able to get the looks, we just weren’t able to finish.”

Senior Whitney Orange cleaned up a missed shot just minutes into the game to cut Paducah Tilghman’s lead to 12-6. Also in the first quarter, Brittney Orten and Amber Coakley teamed-up to break the Blue Tornado defense. Orten lobbed a smooth pass over the opposition to Coakley, who layed in the ball for two easy points.

With point guard Hannah Murphy out to sickness, Orten has had to assume more ball-handling duties, but Flener said she’s liked Orten’s effort.

“I’m asking a lot of Brittney Orten to be the one,” she said. “She plays extremely hard and she gives me everything she’s got.”

Down by 16 points with one minute to go in the first half, freshman forward Ashley Flener made a pair of free-throws and then hit a floater in the lane as time expired to enter the locker room down 36-24.

The Blue Tornado extended their lead during the third quarter as the Lady Storm continued to struggle finding a go-to scoring threat.

“We don’t work hard enough to get the ball on the wing or anywhere for that matter,” Flener said. “Until we decide we’re going to get open, nobody is going to be a good shooter on the team because we’re not going to be able to get the ball to anybody.”

As the game winded to a close in the fourth, Flener inserted her substitutes.

“I felt like the five that were out on the floor at the end of the game, they worked hard and they were making shots,” Flener said. “They were playing good defense, making deflections, getting steals and they cut the score for us. … I felt like that last group of five really worked hard.”

Among the subs that shined in their limited time was Krhea Orten, who reached the line twice and hit a three-pointer from the right corner.

“She’s a great ball player and I think it speaks a lot of her to be playing varsity as a seventh grader,” Flener said of Orten, who is the team’s latest addition to the varsity roster. “She can handle the ball very well and I think if she can get in a minute here, two minutes there and get that confidence I think she’ll be fine.”

Blue Tornado guard Natalie Shumpert earned the player of the game award for her game-high 16 points.

Central will enjoy a bit of a break before hitting the court again at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 3 against Hopkinsville.

PTHS (7-1) 20 16 17 12 – 65

HCCHS (1-7) 9 15 12 8 – 44

PTHS: Natalie Shumpert 16 Chelsey Shumpert 13 Brandy Allen 9 Breonna Jackson 9 Megan Bunte 6 Destiny Skinner 6 Madyson Shelton 4 LaQuesha Prather 2

HCCHS: Amber Coakley 12 Ashley Flener 11 Whitney Orange 6 Brittney Orten 5 Krhea Orten 3 Shalara Wells 3 Cassandra Haley 2 Courtney Snodgrass 2

Sunday’s game

Struggling to find rim and rhythm, offense did not come easily for the Hopkins County Central Lady Storm basketball team on Sunday.

Central netted just three points in the first eight minutes of play and never hit double-figures in any single quarter, losing 52-26 to Central Hardin in the Hopkins County Central Holiday Classic.

The Lady Storm once again struggled to break the full-court press and fell into making mistakes by forcing passes and becoming trapped.

Down 23-4 in the second quarter, Amber Coakley attempted to spark Central to life. Coakley scored six points in 52 seconds and helped rally her team to finish the half on an 8-2 run.

That success did not carry over to the second half, however as the Lady Bruins pulled away for an easy victory.

Central Hardin’s Christian Harper scored 12 points and was named player of the game.

CHHS (6-2) 12 13 19 8 – 52

HCCHS (1-6) 3 9 5 9 – 26

CHHS: Katie Fritts 17 Christian Harper 12 Alanna Stanton 7 Elena Hitch 5 Abbi Goedde 4 Kristina Krupinski 4 Holly Cox 3

HCCHS: Amber Coakley 8 Brittney Orten 5 Brooke Daugherty 3 Shalara Wells 3 Ashley Flener 2 Krhea Orten 2 Cassandra Haley 1 Whitney Orange 1 Courtney Snodgrass 1