JAY — Leavitt’s shots started finding their mark early and Hornets coach Dave Gerrish’s grin turned into one giant smile by the end of the game.
The Hornets (5-6) took a 29-17 lead at halftime thanks to solid rebounding and making choice shots outside the arc and inside the key. That winning combination on the court gave Leavitt a 56-45 victory over Spruce Mountain (3-7) in a girls’ basketball game Thursday night.
“You know, we played pretty well together and we rebounded really well tonight. We played hard. We were really focused,” Gerrish said. “Always helps to make shots early, right? I thought they played well.”
But the Phoenix’s shooting was cold despite an impressive run early in the third quarter that got Leavitt’s attention.
Spruce Mountain wouldn’t quit in the fourth quarter even though the Hornets had the game in hand.
“I think it was whole team performance, “ Leavitt senior guard Shannon O’Malley said. “We worked well moving the ball. We got a lot of 3’s and cuts to the basket and that ultimately helped us win the game.
“They are a good team. They are good at 3’s, too, but I just think overall we dominated them by pressing them.”
Leavitt senior guard Allie Belaire knocked down three of the Hornets’ eight 3-pointers and scored 14 points. Junior guard Elizabeth Goulette did the honors and scored the team-high 16 points.
Spruce Mountain senior guard Alex Bessey drove into harm’s way and came up with the game-high 22 points. She made eight of 13 free-throw attempts.
“They made it tough on us, but when you don’t come to play from the get-go, and when you don’t want to do small physical things, it makes it tough — especially against a team like that, that is very physical,” Spruce Mountain coach Zachary Keene said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well, and when we don’t shoot the ball well, we need to find a way to commit on the defensive end. If you don’t, games like that happen.”
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