By RICHIE HALL
SHERIDAN – For the first time in school history, Sheridan is hosting a girls basketball sectional.
The Blackhawks gave their home crowd some exciting moments in the first round of Sectional 40 on Tuesday at Hobbs Memorial Hall. Sheridan was down to a solid Frankton team at halftime before coming back to tie the game in the third quarter.
The Eagles made a late run to beat the ‘Hawks 62-47, thus ending Sheridan’s season. The Blackhawks finished 12-11 under first-year coach and former Sheridan player Jaidlin Delph.
“These girls just worked their tails off and we couldn’t be more proud of the year that they had,” said Delph. “I’m really lucky to have had them this year and everything that they’ve given to me. I’m just blessed as a first-year head coach to have such a hard-working team.”
Both teams made big runs in the first quarter. After Olivia Raines got the ‘Hawks on the board with a layin, Frankton scored eight straight points to take a 9-2 lead. But Sheridan answered back with its own 8-0 run to lead 10-9; Heather Barker started it with a three-point play, followed by a Lillie Dickerson 3-point basket. Raines then hit a jumper to give Sheridan the lead.
Chloee Thomas made a putback to give the Eagles an 11-10 lead at the end of the quarter, and that would be the start of an 11-0 run to put Frankton up 20-10 in the second period. The Eagles led by as much as 30-15 late in the quarter, Sheridan cut that to 30-18 by halftime.
The ‘Hawks continued that run as the third period began, scoring eight quick points to get within 30-26. Barker opened the quarter with five points (a 2-pointer and 3-pointer), then Jillian O’Flaherty nailed a 3.
Sheridan embarked on another run midway through the third, scoring seven straight points to tie the game at 37-37. Barker and Raines made layins, then O’Flaherty hit her second 3-pointer of the game to even things up.
“It’s who these girls are,” said Delph. The coach said her team is asked to give 32 minutes of best effort each night, and the Blackhawks delivered on Tuesday.
“They just worked so, so hard tonight and literally gave it all they had,” said Delph. “There’s girls who can’t even stand up after the game tonight because they were just busting their butts so much.”
Frankton went on its own 7-0 run after Sheridan tied it up, going ahead 44-37 early in the fourth. Allie Delph scored four straight points to get the ‘Hawks within 44-41, but the Eagles took over from there, outscoring Sheridan 18-6 in the final 5:45 of the game.
“They’re so deep, and I told the girls, Frankton literally lives, eats, breathes and sleeps basketball,” said Jaidlin Delph. “They just have such a great program that they continue to build on, that they continue to improve every year. That’s the kind of program we need to strive to be, to have kids living, eating, breathing, sleeping basketball. There’s definitely something to learn from them, and I think our seniors did a really good job of setting that precedent, that this is what is expected from here on out from girls basketball at Sheridan. We’re excited for the future. We’re definitely heartbroken to lose our seniors and the leadership that they brought to the table.
Two of those seniors led the way in scoring: Barker finished the game with 18 points, while Raines earned a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Barker also handed out four assists and made four steals, with Raines getting four steals also.
O’Flaherty and Holly Barker were also seniors on the team. The future does look promising for Sheridan, as Allie Delph and Lillie Dickerson (who made a first-quarter 3-pointer) are sophomores, and freshmen Taylor Bates and Berkley Williams made an impact as well.
“We really have become a family,” said Jaidlin Delph. “They love being around each other and I honestly think that’s a huge part of their success this year. Us coaches love being around them. They’re just an awesome group of kids.”
Frankton 62, Sheridan 47
Sheridan FG FT TP PF
Heather Barker 5-10 7-10 18 2
Holly Barker 0-3 0-0 0 5
Olivia Raines 6-7 0-0 12 3
Jillian O’Flaherty 2-4 0-1 6 3
Allie Delph 1-5 2-2 4 0
Lillie Dickerson 1-4 0-0 3 0
Taylor Bates 1-1 0-0 2 5
Berkley Williams 1-3 0-2 2 0
Totals 17-37 9-15 47 18
Score by Quarters
Sheridan 10 8 19 10 – 47
Frankton 11 19 10 22 – 62
Sheridan 3-point shooting (4-14) O’Flaherty 2-4, He. Barker 1-3, Dickerson 1-3, Delph 0-2, Williams 0-2.
Sheridan rebounds (21) Raines 10, O’Flaherty 3, Williams 2, Ho. Barker 2, Delph 1, He. Barker 1, Dickerson 1, Bates 1.
Sheridan senior Olivia Raines takes a shot during the Blackhawks’ sectional game with Frankton Tuesday night at Hobbs Memorial Hall. Raines was one of four seniors on the Sheridan team. (Kirk Green)