Camryn Runner breaks Hamilton County girls scoring record
The REPORTER
The Hamilton Heights girls basketball team repeated as regional champions last Saturday, pulling away from Woodlan 55-31 to win the Class 3A Lapel regional.
The 3A No. 1 Huskies were led by a stellar effort from Ella Hickok. The senior scored nine points in the first quarter, helping Heights to an 11-5 lead. The Huskies then barreled through the second period, outscoring the Warriors 23-12 to take a 34-17 lead. Camryn Runner poured in 11 points, with Hickok adding another 10.
“She was awesome,” Huskies coach Keegan Cherry said of Hickok. “She was driving the basket, getting into the paint, scoring. Loved her mindset. She looked to be aggressive.”
Ella Hickok led the Huskies with 28 points. (Julie Brown)
Cherry called the performance a microcosm of the season.
“Everybody thinks it’s about Camryn,” said Cherry. “Ella Hickok can score. Katie Brown can score. If you try to take away Camryn, those other girls can step up. They’ve been so unselfish throughout the course of the season.”
The coach also credited his team’s defense, including Hadleigh Cherry, with containing the tall Woodlan lineup.
“They had a size advantage and Hadleigh did a great job of taking away their No. 1 post option,” said Keegan Cherry. “Hadleigh makes winning plays that don’t show up in the boxscore.”
Heights led 49-25 after three quarters, with Runner scoring seven and Hickok five. Hickok finished the game with 28 points, while Runner scored 22.
Camryn Runner scored 22 points and became the Hamilton County all-time girls leading scorer during the game. (Julie Brown)
Runner broke the Hamilton County girls scoring record during the game, as her 22 points gave her 1,936 career points, passing the 1,925 set by Hamilton Southeastern’s Sydney Parrish in 2020.
The Huskies are 24-2, setting a new record for wins in a season. Heights now plays in the 3A semi-state at Huntington North, taking on Norwell in the first semifinal at 10 a.m. Bremen plays NorthWood in the second semifinal, which starts around noon. The championship game is set for 8 p.m.