Comeback bid falls short against OHS

The varsity Lady Hornets charged from behind in the fourth quarter only to fall to Owensboro High School by a final score of 60-55 Tuesday at HCHS.

“We were down by 16 at the half, but we played much better overall in the second,” HCHS coach Kevin Husk said. “Owensboro did a good job responding to a couple of our runs.”

Alyrica Hughes was a force for the Lady Devils from the opening tip. The sophomore weaved her way through defenders to score at the rim, while she and her teammates connected from 3-point range during a 21-14 first quarter win for the visitors.

Ella House made her season debut for HCHS Tuesday night after recovering from a fracture in her leg. The sophomore added a spark to the team with her relentless hustle. She led the girls with six points in the opening frame.

“It’s great getting Ella back. The entire team loves having her back on the court,” Husk said.

Hancock County got baskets from Lily Roberts, Emma Morris and Layni Roberts during the second period, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with the Devils. Hughes tallied seven points in the frame and Owensboro had increased their advantage to 36-20 by halftime.

The Lady Hornets defense buckled down in the third and held the visitors to just six points in the frame. Morris hit a “3” and Lily Roberts scored three points for the home team, but the girls were only able to trim one point off OHS’s lead.

Trailing 42-27 heading to the fourth, coach Husk ordered his team to press full court against the quick Lady Devils. The seemingly risky move paid off as the Lady Hornets’ pressure resulted in multiple turnovers.

Meanwhile, the Hancock offense took off.

Bailey Poole, Lily Roberts and Morris all hit 3’s during a run that brought the home crowd to life and pulled the ladies to within seven points of their opponent.

Things were going Hancock’s way when Alicia Phillips stopped the bleeding for OHS. The team’s inside presence dropped in three baskets while on the move as the Hornets were pressing. Phillips and Hughes pushed the Devils’ lead back to 15 points and the outcome appeared to have been decided.

Husk called a timeout with just over two minutes remaining. Some might have expected the coach to empty his bench, but he wasn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet, and neither were his players.

Poole splashed a quick “3” and House hit two foul shots. The Lady Hornets stopped the clock with a foul and OHS cooperated by missing  two shots at the line. Lily Roberts cut the lead to eight when she converted in the lane. Hughes hit 1 of 2 at the stipe before Poole and House scored on driving layups that pulled Hancock to within five points with less than a minute on the clock.

Tavyonna Greer and Hughes then broke the home team’s heart when they buried two foul shots each to seal the win. Lily Roberts hit one more from beyond the arc as the horn sounded.

“Our 28 fourth quarter points is amazing,” Husk said. “We’ve got to find a way to play more consistently throughout the game and it really comes down to handling ball pressure and playing hard on the defensive end, even when we’re not scoring.”

Lily Roberts led Hancock with 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Poole had 14 points, with three 3’s, and House had 13 points and eight boards. Morris had 10 points and seven boards, Layni Roberts had two points and five boards, and Kendra Keown hit one free throw.

Hughes finished with 28 points for OHS.

By Steve Wimmer