By RICHIE HALL
ARCADIA – There is something about the Hamilton Heights and sectional overtime games.
Since 2018, the Huskies have played in five sectional games that needed an extra period (or two) to be decided, including an overtime game in the Class 3A Sectional 24 championship last Saturday. Heights got past Yorktown 41-40 to win its third consecutive sectional title in front of a large crowd at the Huskies’ gym.
Heights trailed 40-39 with under 30 seconds left, but a series of big plays helped the Huskies to victory. Camryn Runner was fouled while grabbing a rebound at the 26.8-second mark, and she made two free throws to put Heights up by one.
“My dad always taught me, 1-2-3 bang,” said Runner. “Ignore the crowd. Focus on yourself. Take a deep breath. Get in your rhythm. You’ll knock it down.”
The Tigers had the ball and were looking for the go-ahead basket, but Ella Hickok stepped in and forced a jump ball with 2.2 seconds remaining. The possession arrow favored the Huskies, and they inbounded the ball and held it for those last couple seconds.
“I saw it in front of me, and I know I didn’t want to foul,” said Hickok. She was being careful, but Hickok made sure she got the ball and made the play.
“It just worked out,” said Hickok. “It was right there, so I just ripped it and got jump ball, and it was our possession.”
“It’s all the little plays,” said Cherry. “You think about all those little plays over the course of 32 minutes, and they add up and make a huge difference.”
It was obvious the game was going to come down to one last play, as it was close for the entire 36 minutes. The biggest lead was five points, which Yorktown achieved three different times in the third quarter. The Tigers were up 30-25 with under two minutes left after Camryn Isaacs hit a 3-pointer.
The Huskies came storming back with a 10-1 run. Runner’s layin started the stretch, after which Yorktown’s Amari Wright hit a free throw to end the third quarter. That gave the Tigers a 31-27 lead heading into the fourth.
But Heights saved most of the run for the fourth quarter, scoring eight straight points for a 35-31 lead. Hickok and Runner both hit baskets to tie, then Kaylee Rhoton nailed a 3 to put the Huskies in front. Runner’s free throw gave Heights a 35-31 advantage with 1:50 left.
Isaacs hit her second 3 of the game, but Runner answered with two more free throws, and the Huskies were up 37-34. Wright then drained a triple to tie the game, and the score would stay 37-37 until the buzzer. The back and forth continued in the extra period; Wright’s layin put Yorktown up 40-39, but that would be all.
“The DNA of our team, I knew our girls weren’t going to quit,” said Heights coach Keegan Cherry. “I knew the girls weren’t going to quit. They’re fighters and they found a way to win, and that’s something that really, you don’t teach.”
The Tigers led 8-7 after one quarter; Runner scored five of the Huskies’ points in that period. Yorktown scored to open the second quarter, but Heights took off on a 6-0 stretch, with Runner making two layins and Hickok adding a third basket.
Wright and Raya Tewari both drained 3s to put the Tigers back in front, and they led 18-15 at halftime. Yorktown then controlled most of the third quarter, except for when the Huskies made back-to-back baskets – a putback from Kassidy Schakel and a layin by Runner, to take a 25-24 lead.
“It’s all the little plays,” said Cherry. “You think about all those little plays over the course of 32 minutes, and they add up and make a huge difference.”
Runner led all scorers with 28 points. Hickok added six points, followed by four from Schakel and three from Rhoton.
Heights improved to 19-5 with the victory. The Huskies are now off to the Bellmont regional, where they will play Norwell for the championship at 4 p.m. Saturday.