It is fitting that after living at the free throw line and playing great defense all season that those two things would prove to be the difference for the Trenton High School Lady Bulldogs basketball ball team on Wednesday night.
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It is fitting that after living at the free throw line and playing great defense all season that those two things would prove to be the difference for the Trenton High School Lady Bulldogs basketball ball team on Wednesday night.
THS hit 3-of-5 attempts in the closing minute to win the Class 3, District 16 Tournament game over Hamilton, 49-46.
“Free throws were the difference in the game. Both teams went 14-of-28 from two-point range and 4-of-12 from-three point range,” Head Coach Kris Ockenfels said. “We hit 9-of-15 free throws and Hamilton made 6-of-10. That was the difference.”
Wednesday night’s semifinal featured a big run by both the Lady Hornets and the Lady Bulldogs. The lead changed hands eight times in the second half and Trenton’s junior point guard Trisha Ireland stepped up in the biggest game of the year with 15 points, including two important three-pointers.
“I think Trisha showed a lot of people what kind of player she is,” Ockenfels said. “Her two three-pointers in the fourth were huge. She has ice water in her veins. Both of those shots were at key times.”
Things were looking bad for THS in the closing five minutes of the contest as Hamilton had regained the lead after two straight Lady Bulldog turnovers. The Lady Hornets had the ball and were looking to go up by six points.
A steal by Ireland, however, kept Hamilton from scoring. Sophomore Aimee Gutshall connected on a baseline jumper to pull THS to within two points, 45-43, with less than four minutes to play. After holding Hamilton scoreless on its next possession Ireland hit a three-point shot from the top of the key, giving the Lady Bulldogs the lead, 46-45.
“We actually had a set play called and that wasn’t it,” Ockenfels said. “Coach (Susie) Vandevender looked when Trisha made a three earlier in the quarter and just said ‘she’s feeling it,’ and she was.”
A third straight defensive stand gave the Lady Bulldogs the ball with 2:25 remaining in the contest. THS ran 1:35 off the clock before Hamilton finally sent Trenton’s Brittany Lynch to the line. Lynch missed the front end of the one-and-one, however, the Lady Hornets could not capitalize at their end, missing a one-and-one opportunity as well. Lynch was fouled again and this time she hit one of two free throws, making the score 47-45.
“Brittany is one of our better free throw shooters,” Ockenfels said. “I knew she would come up with at least one the second time.”
The Lady Hornets got back to the free throw line with 5 seconds remaining when Ireland picked up her fifth personal foul with a reach-in on Elizabeth Volmer. Volmer hit one of two free throws. cutting Trenton’s lead to 47-46.
Senior guard Ashten Witten stretched Trenton’s lead to three points when she hit two free throws with 4.5 seconds remaining. An errant pass by Hamilton on the inbounds gave THS the ball and the semifinal victory.
“That is a senior for you,” Ockenfels said. “At the end of the game we wanted the ball in Ashten’s hand. Those two free throws were her biggest shots of the season so far. You do not want to give the ball back to the other team with a chance to win the game with a single basket.”
Trenton’s season almost ended before the Lady Bulldogs could get out of the first quarter. Standout junior forward Kari Shiflett turned her ankle during Trenton’s first offensive possession and was sidelined for most of the first quarter. Hamilton seized the opportunity to hit THS with an 11-0 run.
“I think we were a little shell-shocked early on. When Kari went down, the whole team was looking around, wondering if she was alright and if she would be back,” Ockenfels said. “Going in we knew it would take 32 minutes of basketball to win this game. Last time we played, Hamilton jumped out to a lead so I don’t think the girls ever panicked.”
Nothing went right for Trenton for the first five and one-half minutes of the game. THS missed shots, turned the ball over and the Lady Bulldogs seemed completely out of sync. Ireland finally ended the Trenton drought with 2:30 minutes remaining in the first quarter. THS would hit two more baskets and at the end of the first quarter trailed, 15-6.
Hamilton came out and scored the first three points of the second quarter, pushing its lead to 18-6. Sparked by great defense and the return of Shiflett, the Lady Bulldogs went on a 16-0 run and took their first lead of the game, 22-20, with 1:00 remaining in the half. Shiflett had five points in the second quarter as THS battled back into the game.
Hamilton would regain the lead, 24-22, but THS would tie the game heading into halftime, 24-24.
Hamilton seemed to be on the verge of taking control of the game several times in the third quarter. The Lady Hornets led 34-29 with a chance to stretch their lead, but THS came up with a defensive stop and a basket.
Hamilton later pushed the lead to 36-31, only to have THS cut it back to three points with 1:30 left to play in the quarter. Trenton trailed by three points at the end of the third period, 36-33.
THS tied the game with 7:30 to play, 36-36. Ireland gave Trenton the lead with 7:20 remaining when she connected on a three-pointer. Ireland scored six points in the fourth quarter, all from three-point range.
Shiflett finished with 11 points for THS and Lynch added seven points. Volmer paced Hamilton with 15 points. Jordan Esry and Adrienne Ford each added nine points for the Lady Hornets.
THS will play LeBlond for the District 16 championship on Friday at 6 p.m.