The REPORTER
Last night was a crucial game for Hamilton Heights in two different ways. First, it was the Hoosier Conference opener and second, the Huskies were looking to snap a three-game losing streak.
Fortunately, the visiting Huskies were able to leave Russiaville on Friday night by checking both of those off its list for the night. They escaped with an overtime win over the Western Panthers, 57-52, snapping an early season three-game losing skid.
Heights found itself down 21-16 after one quarter and things didn’t get any easier during the rest of the first half.
The Huskies fought back in the second, scoring 13 to Western’s 10, but still trailed by two at halftime, 31-29.
Western came out in the third and was able to limit Heights’ scoring. The Panthers’ 12-7 quarter gave them a seven-point margin 43-36 heading to the fourth.
Hamilton Heights showed grit and was able to flip the script on the hosts in the fourth, putting 12 on the board to Western’s five, knotting the game 48-48, sending it to an extra frame.
A 9-4 advantage in the extra period, along with great defense helped propel Heights to a five-point overtime win, 57-52.
Junior Tyler Champion led a quartet of Huskies in double-figures with 17, making 4-of-5 from outside and 5-for-11 overall. Seniors Tillman Etchison and John Irion each had 13 with junior Dreydin Serna adding 10.
Hamilton Heights (2-4, 1-0 HC) closes the weekend in Hoosier Conference action at home against West Lafayette (4-3, 0-1 HC) in an East-West battle. The Red Devils lost their conference opener at Benton Central last night, 80-69.
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 57, WESTERN 52
(overtime)
Heights FG FT TP PF
Tyler Champion 5-11 3-4 17 4
Dreydin Serna 4-6 1-2 10 4
Tillman Etchison 4-12 4-4 13 4
John Irion 3-9 5-6 13 1
Carson Felger 0-1 0-0 0 2
Sam Dawson 0-4 0-0 0 1
Rees Knapp 1-4 0-0 2 1
Isaiah Grimsey 1-1 0-0 2 0
Phoenix Vondersaar 0-1 0-0 0 2
Totals 18-49 13-16 57 19
Score by Quarters
Western 21 10 12 5 4 – 52
Hamilton Heights 16 13 7 12 9 – 57
Heights 3-point shooting (8-23) Champion 4-5, Irion 2-6, Serna 1-2, Etchison 1-2, Dawson 0-4, Knapp 0-2, Vondersaar 0-1, Felger 0-1.
Heights rebounds (24) Serna 5, Champion 4, Felger 4, Irion 4, Etchison 3, Knapp 2, Grimsey 2.