A superb defensive effort led the Hamilton Heights girls basketball team to its fifth straight win on Thursday.
The Class 3A No. 7 Huskies beat Delta 57-19 in a home game. Heights’ defense was ready to go from the start, as it allowed the Eagles no points in the first quarter. The Huskies led 12-0 after that period; Ella Hickok, Mia Shields and Camryn Runner each hit a 3-pointer, while MyKayla Moran made a basket and a free throw.
“Great effort tonight from everyone,” said Heights coach Keegan Cherry. “We have much respect for Delta and Coach Andy Lewman. We were really solid that first quarter defensively. Anytime you hold a team scoreless for a quarter, it can be really deflating.”
Heights poured in 22 points in the second quarter to lead 34-7 at halftime. Moran stepped up with seven more points, while Shields nailed two more 3s.
The Huskies held a 44-13 lead after three periods, then scored 13 more in the fourth, with Runner adding seven points. Runner finished with 15 points, while Moran scored 12.
“For consecutive games we did a nice job getting the ball inside early to MyKayla,” said Cherry. “She is beginning to show some confidence and playing with more poise.”
The coach credited Runner and Shields with making the 3s that “stretched the lead fairly quick. On the other side, playing with a big lead can be hard mentally. I thought our girls stayed engaged and played to a standard. We were able to play everyone tonight. And that’s always nice.”
Heights is 9-3 and will play at the Summit Conference Classic in Fort Wayne on Tuesday. The Huskies are scheduled to play Bishop Dwenger at 10 a.m. and Concordia Lutheran at 4 p.m.
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 57, DELTA 19
Heights FG FT TP PF
Ella Hickok 3 1-2 8 0
Mia Shields 3 0-0 9 2
Camryn Runner 4 4-4 15 1
Hadleigh Cherry 2 1-1 5 3
MyKayla Moran 4 4-6 12 0
Kaylee Rhoton 0 2-2 2 1
Kassidy Schakel 0 0-1 0 1
Kennedy Cherry 1 0-0 2 0
Morgan Ottinger 1 0-0 2 1
Katie Brown 1 0-0 2 1
Totals 19 12-16 57 10
Score by Quarters
Delta 0 7 6 6 – 19
Heights 12 22 10 13 – 57
Heights 3-pointers (7) Shields 3, Runner 3, Hickok 1.