Kenzie Garner’s 40 points leads Blackhawks past Lapel
By RICHIE HALL
SHERIDAN – Larry Hobbs Gymnasium was packed Saturday night, and the crowd got to see the Sheridan girls basketball team make history.
The Blackhawks defended their sectional championship, winning Class 2A Sectional 39 by toughing out a strong Lapel team 54-47. It marked the first time a Sheridan girls team defended a sectional title, and it was also the first time they won a sectional on their home gym.
“It’s nice when you score and you just hear the crowd erupt,” said Blackhawks senior Cecilia Timme. “It’s a really good feeling and just pumps you up for the game.”
Kenzie Garner was making the Sheridan crowd scream quite a bit during the game. The senior Ferris State commit scored the Blackhawks’ first seven points of the game and finished the first quarter with 12 points.
Sheridan’s Kenzie Garner scored 40 points for the Blackhawks. (Allison Waitt)
Sheridan led 12-9 in the opening quarter, then went on a 10-0 run that finished at the start of the second period when Nova Cross drained a 3-pointer. The Blackhawks steadily increased their lead during the second and held their largest lead of the game at 34-15 when Shelby Eaton made a floater.
The Bulldogs scored four points to finish the first half, cutting Sheridan’s lead to 34-19. The start of the third quarter was a spirited battle between Garner and Lapel’s star Laniah Willis. The two players were matching each other basket for basket during the first two minutes of the third.
Garner scored seven to start the second half, bringing her total to 29. Willis had already scored seven, and she increased that total to 11 for the quarter with a layin and a jumper. Those two baskets began a 10-0 run for the Bulldogs, getting them within 41-36 by the end of the third.
But Garner stepped up again. She opened the fourth quarter with nine straight points, getting the ‘Hawks up 50-36 with under four minutes to go. The Sheridan defense was also doing its job, not allowing Lapel any points in the quarter until Willis scored at the 3:26 mark.
“The defense that Cecilia Timme and Shelby Eaton played on Laniah Willis is just unmatched,” said ‘Hawks coach Jaidlin Bradshaw. “They did an amazing job. Limiting her was our No. 1 focus. They just did a phenomenal job.”
The Bulldogs continued to battle until the end, but Garner put the finishing touches on the sectional win by making two free throws with 11.2 seconds left. That gave Garner 40 points for the game. She scored every which way possible, making layins, jump shots and floaters, and also went 9-of-12 from the free-throw line.
“I didn’t think I had that many points,” said Garner. “I came in, I shot this morning. The work just really paid off.”
Timme scored six points, followed by Eaton with five and Cross with three. Garner reached double-double status with 13 rebounds, while Timme collected six rebounds.
Sheridan’s record now stands at 24-1 for the season.
“I think it is a record, but we’re hoping that it’s not,” said Bradshaw. “We’re hoping that we get another one every week. They got a taste of it last year and they’re ready to play hard and keep playing hard for as long as you can.”
The Blackhawks will travel to Lapel on Saturday to play in the Class 2A regional. Sheridan will take on Lewis Cass; the Kings won their own sectional last Saturday with a 40-27 win over Oak Hill.
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