On Wednesday night, The Hornets secured the Girls’ 3A Regional Championship title in a 55-42 victory against the Sherwood Warriors, giving them a 20-2 record now as they proceed to the State Quarterfinals. Despite the double-digit victory, Wednesday’s match-up was hard-fought with many contributing factors.
3, 22, and 34
Junior trio Juliet Ventura, Madison Slayton, and Megan Antonishek combined for 42 of the Hornets’ 55 points, with 18, 15, and 9 respectively. Ventura scored 12 of her points from beyond the arc and shot 3/5 from the three-point line in the second half to extend their lead. On the contrary, Slayton dominated the interior, recording eight second-chance points. Her efforts on the offensive glass resulted in five offensive rebounds and five trips to the free-throw line. Slayton concluded the night with a ridiculous 18 rebounds. Center Megan Antonishek’s points can be attributed to her perfect positioning in the paint and a backdoor cut that was met by a lead pass from senior Carrie Gottesman.
4 The Team
Speaking of Gottesman, although she only scored three points, she was last night’s floor general and defensive stalwart. Her eight assists and six steals were game-highs and crucial factors to the Hornet’s momentum and eventual triumph.
While down seven points in just the first quarter, Gottesman threw two outlet passes to set freshman Whitney Delaney up for two open layups. This quick sequence brought the game within one possession, which led to Damascus’ 30-20 lead by halftime.
Her defensive masterclass goes beyond the stat sheet, as she drew two of the team’s five charges. Sacrificing your body and successfully drawing a charge can be electrifying, and it can heavily shift the momentum of a close game, doing so twice not only gets the momentum (and the ball) back but encourages your teammates to do the same.
Wednesday’s win against one of Damascus’ renowned rivals was a thrilling one. With the exception of their rough start, their play was polished and hopefully can be carried over to the State Quarterfinal game against the 17-2 River Hill Hawks. Playing at home; the Hornets will be live in the hive tomorrow at 4:00.
