Sunday, March 19, 2000
Hartley stifles Badin in title game
Rams come up short at state in 52-44 loss
BY DAVE SCHUTTE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Kerri Fiehrer
(AP photo)
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COLUMBUS — Turnovers, foul trouble and a pressing man-to-man defense by Columbus Bishop Hartley proved to be the downfall of the Hamilton Badin Rams.
Converting 20 of 33 free throws and forcing 24 turnovers, Bishop Hartley beat the Rams 52-44 Saturday in the Division II state championship game at the Schottenstein Center.
“The key for us was to stay out of foul trouble,” Badin coach Dan Purcell said. “Cydney (Overton) getting into foul trouble in the second quarter and then fouling out in the fourth hurt us.”
Despite the foul problems, Badin and Hartley were tied 39-39 with 3:59 remaining. But the Hawks converted three three-point plays down the stretch to put away the game.
“During a timeout when the score was tied, I told the girls that they had to penetrate rather than take the outside shot because of Badin's foul problems,” Hartley coach Jessica Smith said.
“Our strength is on the outside, but the last two or three games, we've attacked on the inside. Tonight the inside game won it for us in the end.”
Tied at 39, Hartley's Jackie Richardson drove toward the basket, shot and was fouled. She sank the free throw for a 42-39 advantage with 3:27 remaining.
Kerri Fiehrer scored on a spinning move to the basket for Badin, but Richardson repeated her three-point play with 2:03 to go. Again Badin responded, with Molly Brennan sinking a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 45-44.
Hartley senior Mimi Haynes then came up with the play of the game. She grabbed a rebound, scored and was fouled. She sank the free throw for a 48-44 lead.
The Rams were called for traveling with 45.3 seconds left, and they then elected to foul Hartley's Jessica Daniel with 35.1 seconds remaining. Daniel, a senior forward, made both free throws.
“We've forced about 23 turnovers a game during the season, and that's where we got a lot of our offense,” Hartley's Smith said.
Fiehrer, who was harassed by Hartley's defensive pressure from the outset, was impressed with the Hawks defense.
“This is probably the hardest I've had to work,” said Fiehrer, who was held to nine points. “They used the full-court press the entire game and put a lot of pressure getting the ball inbounds.”
The game was a defensive struggle from the outset; neither team took more than a three-point lead in the first half. Hartley led 23-21 at halftime.
The Hawks managed a five-point lead (29-24) early in the third quarter, but Fiehrer and Overton rallied the Rams to a tie at 35-35 going into the fourth quarter.
“I felt pretty good when the score was 39-39,” Purcell said. “I told the girls during a timeout that they must play the best defense of the season and find a way to win. But the ball just didn't bounce our way.”
Hartley missed several shots late in the game that hit hard off the rim and bounced long to a Hawks player on the perimeter.
“The difference was free throws,” Purcell said. “They had 33 and we only got 15. To have 25 turnovers and still be in the game near the end tells you how hard the game was played.”
BADIN (44) — Wolf 5-8 1-2 11, Overton 4-11 0-0 8, Bennett 1-1 2-2 4, Fiehrer 2-10 5-7 9, Vilkoski 0-2 0-0 0, Brennan 1-3 0-0 3, Shull 4-5 1-4 9. Totals: 17-40 9-15 44.
BISHOP HARTLEY (52) — Greer 2-5 2-2 6, Richardson 6-8 4-6 16, Miller 2-3 3-4 7, Daniel 0-5 3-8 3, Haynes 3-9 7-9 3, Foraker 1-3 0-2 2, Feyes 1-3 0-0 2, Powell 1-4 0-0 2, Dick 0-1 02 1. Totals: 16-41 20-33 52.
Badin ....... 11 10 14 9—44
Bishop Hartley ....... 11 12 13 17—52
3-pointers: B 1-5 (Brennan). H 0-7. Rebounds: B 28 (Shull 5). H 30 (Richardson 11). Steals: B 8 (Shull 5). H 8. Assists: B 13 (Fiehrer 4, Vilkoski 4). H 9 (Haynes 4). Turnovers: Badin 25. Hartley 18.Records: Hartley 26-1, Badin 23-5. Officials: Wayne Roller, Evalyn Hammonds, Ned Harlow. Attendance: 4,951.
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