The State College Girls Basketball Team showcased its skill and teamwork on Dec. 9, defeating the Johnstown Trojans 51-41. The Little Lions got off to a strong start this season with a 4-1 record through Dec. 16.
The week of Dec. 9 was a game-filled week for the girls basketball team with games against Johnstown, Altoona and Harrisburg.
“They’re [Johnstown is] quick, they like to push things and be aggressive on defense,” senior guard Jess Hawbaker said. “We knew going into it we had a heavy-filled week of games. We had three games this week, so we had to first take care of game one.”
State College set the tone early in the first quarter with tough defense after Johnstown won the tipoff. Two minutes into the first quarter, sophomore Sheree Wilson scored, taking the Little Lions ahead. Later, a twin connection from Sienna Wilson to Sheree Wilson led to an and-one for Sheree to give State College a 6-2 lead halfway through the first quarter.
After some strong rebounding by Hawbaker and another bucket from Sheree Wilson, the Little Lions extended their lead to 8-4. Johnstown then went on a quick 6-2 run and tied the score at 10 as the first quarter came to an end.
“I think our effort, from me and the team, was really good. We just played well together as a team. The game brought the intensity,” Sheree Wilson said.
To start the second quarter, senior Annika Bechtel passed to junior McKenna Whitehurst who knocked down the shot and set the tone for the rest of the game.
“It’s so exciting when one of us would get a steal and, like, go up for a layup, and it just, like, hypes everyone up. And then, of course, the student section that day was really good, so I think we had a really good time,” Whitehurst said.
With time winding down in the first half, Whitehurst stole the ball and connected with Sienna Wilson, who spun around the defender for a smooth layup. Sienna Wilson maintained her rhythm with another steal to a layup, raising the score to 26-20 with 53.4 seconds left. Sheree Wison closed the half with a buzzer-beater to end with a score of 28-21.
“We’ve been talking a lot about how we need to get consecutive stops on defense in a row, and your chances of winning the game will go up significantly,” Hawbaker said. “I think we definitely had a lot of possessions on defense where we didn’t let them score, so I think that ultimately kind of helped us push us.”
Sienna Wilson sank the first shot of the third quarter and kept the pressure on with a steal and an attempted layup, drawing a foul that sent her to the foul line to sink both free throws. With 3:30 to play in the third quarter, the score stood at 32-23, with the Little Lions in the lead.
State College maintained its intense defensive pressure throughout the third quarter. Sheree Wilson capped off the third quarter with a layup, leaving the score at 36-29.
Kicking off the fourth quarter, Whitehurst nailed a three-point shot. With 4:18 left in the game, Sienna Wilson nailed another three-point shot to extend the State College lead.
Midway through the fourth, the Little Lions held a solid lead, 45-32. Sheree Wilson forced a turnover, creating an opportunity for a fast-break layup, then State College secured three points through foul shots by Tate and Whitehurst. The Little Lions’ intense defensive pressure shut down any hope of a Johnstown comeback and State College closed out the 51-41 win.
“Turnovers definitely could have been better that game, but we’re improving at practice, so we’re working on that as the season continues,” Sienna Wilson said, describing improvements the team could make for the next game. The Little Lions will return home on Dec. 17 to take on Central Dauphin East at 7:30 in the North Gym.
