On Dec. 27 and 28, the State High Girls Basketball Team extended its winning streak to eight games with victories over Linville Hill Christian School and the Downingtown West Whippets to win State College’s annual Holiday Hardwood Tournament.
The Little Lions first throttled Linville Hill 60-28 in a well-balanced demolition that saw every player who appeared in the game score at least two points. The team’s depth has been a strength all season, as Head Coach Alli Mock has shown the ability to play all ten varsity players.
In this game, freshman Deseray Mobley emerged as an athletic ball-handling option off the bench. Mobley scored six points and led the charge defensively in the second quarter, which the Little Lions won 15-5.
Junior guard McKenna Whitehurst, who was named to the all-tournament team, said, “[Mobley is] a great player, I love playing with her. Once she moved up to the varsity level I was really excited to play with her because she is such a big impact player.”
Two hours before State High defeated Linville Hill, Downingtown West took down North Schuylkill to punch its ticket to the championship game.
Within the first minute of the championship, it was clear that the Little Lions were facing the type of team they hadn’t seen since their 43-40 win over Altoona on Dec. 11. The final game of the tournament got off to a quick start and was tied 4-4 after the first four possessions, but by the end of the first, State College was down 12-6 and Whitehurst had picked up her second personal foul.
The second quarter didn’t start out much better for the Little Lions. Downingtown West extended its lead to 17-8 after two State High turnovers and a corner three got the Whippets’ crowd on their feet.
However, after that three-pointer with 4:11 remaining in the quarter, State College turned to its trademark zone press and went on a 12-0 run anchored by forced turnovers and fast break layups from sophomore twins, Sheree and Sienna Wilson. The momentum flipped entirely and the home crowd had all the energy as the Little Lions went into halftime ahead 20-17.
State High picked up right where it left off after the break and continued to add to its lead with run out layups. With 4:59 remaining in the third quarter, junior Lydia Tate, another all-tournament team member, rejected a Downingtown West shot and Sheree Wilson recovered it and took it to the other end for an uncontested layup. The Whippets took a timeout down 26-19 with the State High crowd roaring.
Downingtown West settled down late in the third quarter but was still down 31-24 heading into the fourth.
Two State High turnovers aided the Whippets’ comeback bid in the fourth quarter. Downingtown West freshman Kylee Domsohn cut the State College lead to 31-30 with 5:25 left in the game with a powerful finish over Tate and the Little Lions called a timeout to stop the bleeding.
The teams continued to trade buckets deep into the fourth quarter until State College’s senior captain Jess Hawbaker took a huge charge on a fast break with 1:20 to play, which brought on bleacher-rattling cheers from the home crowd.
Downingtown West then had to foul to extend the game and State College pulled out a 40-35 championship victory.
One of the keys of the game was the team’s newfound experience in big moments. While the Little Lions are still young and don’t have a senior in the starting lineup, every varsity player aside from Mobley has appeared in a district championship game, a luxury that State High has not had in previous years.
Head Coach Alli Mock said, “Playing in that district game last year, even though we lost, was huge for us because we got to see what it was. Now we know what that feeling is and we know what we need to achieve.”
Mock’s team will carry that experience through the rest of the season as they work towards their goal of a District VI Championship and a berth in the PIAA State Playoffs.
The Little Lions (9-1) are back in action on Friday, Jan. 3, when they take on Chambersburg at 7:30 in the North Gym.
