HURON — Despite a career-high 32 points for Hylton Heinz, the Huron Tigers fell to the Sioux Falls Jefferson Cavaliers on Saturday at Huron Arena.
The game started off showing two teams who were evenly matched, led by their defensive intensity. Top Cav player Brinley Altenburg opened the scoring with a layup in transition, and Hylton Heinz answered for Huron with a pull-up jumper.
Alyeah Johnaon got one of two free throws, and Heinz answered with a three from the deep wing to make it 5-3 Huron.
Abby Horner cut through the lane for a basket and Altenburg added a pair of free throws to give Jefferson the 7-5 lead.
Chloe Carr was fouled on a putback and sank both free throws, and Heinz dropped in a pair of charity shots on the next possession to put Huron up 9-7, but that would be the final Huron lead of the first half.
Horner got a bucket on a move at the post and Macy Bryant made a baseline drive to put Jefferson in the lead by two.
Addyson Knight hit one of two free throws, but Horner was fouled on the drive and sank both shots.
Heinz got a putback and was fouled to tie the game, 13-13, but Brianne Kindvall was fouled as she attempted to streak to the hoop. She hit one of two to give Jefferson a 14-13 lead at the end of one quarter of action.
Horner drove through the lane and got a bucket to open the second for Jefferson, but Heinz responded with a quick jumper. That’s when Huron began to struggle with ball handling.
Johnson got a layup and a steal, but Huron was able to find Heinz on the inbounds for a short bucket to keep it 18-17 Cavaliers.
Altenburg nailed a step back three for her 1,000th career point, and after Aly Davis hit one of two free throws, Altenburg sank a pair of free throws.
Heinz found Carr for a short bucket, but Altenburg nailed another slick step-back three.
Jefferson then scored three baskets in a row on the move to open up a 32-20 lead. Heinz made two trips to the line for free throws, but Huron’s offense was otherwise stymied to end the quarter. Jefferson took a 37-24 lead to the locker rooms.
The struggles in ball-handling would doom Huron, and Huron coach Kody Kopfmann said his team struggled to respond initially.
“The difference-maker was turnovers to fastbreak layups,” Kopfmann observed. “We just did some uncharacteristic things, and it led to a turnover or a tip or something like that.”
Knight hit a floater in the lane, but Johnson then hit a long jumper and Altenburg got a steal and a layup.
Davis hit a basket and Heinz got a bucket off an inbound pass. Jefferson answered with a basket by Bryant and Altenburg picked up a loose ball, scored, and was fouled, making the foul shot.
A Cav defender fell down and Heinz got a basket, then after a Jefferson bucket, Heinz hit a long jumper. Bryant responded with a three from the corner.
Huron finished out the quarter with a pair of free throws and Knight got one of two charity shots to make it 51-37 Jefferson heading into the fourth.
The teams traded buckets back and forth throughout the fourth quarter, but when Huron got within nine points midway through the quarter, Altenberg got a putback bucket to start a 9-0 run for the Cavs that essentially closed out the Tigers’ last chance to win.
Heinz would hit a pair of foul shots as the game wound down to give her a perfect day at the line, going 13-of-13, but it brought Huron to 65-53 Jefferson at the final buzzer.
Jefferson moves to 6-5 behind 19 points, four rebounds, and three steals from Altenburg. Ayleah Johnson and Horner each added 10 points.
Huron fell to 5-5 despite 32 points and seven rebounds from Heinz. Knight finished with 10 rebounds, and Davis had four assists.
“That might have been our best offensive game of the year,” Kopfmann raved. “We were attacking, but then Hylton would cut to the hoop, so the scoresheet showed her as the primary offense.”
Jefferson won the JV game, 65-56, and Huron won the sophomore tilt, 49-40.
Jefferson 14 37 51 65
Huron 13 24 37 54
Sioux Falls Jefferson (6-5): Abby Horner 4 2-2 10, Taylor Silvernail 2 0-0 5, Alyeah Johnson 4 1-2 10, Lydia Johson 1 0-0 2, Emeri Bartels 1 1-2 3, Macy Bryant 6 0-0 14, Brinley Altenburg 6 5-5 19, Brianne Kindvall 0 2-4 2. Totals: 24 11-15 65.
Huron (5-5): Addyson Knight 1 2-4 4, Aly Davis 1 4-6 6, Hylton Heinz 9 13-13 32, Abagail Harrington 2 0-0 5, Chloe Carr 2 2-2 7. Totals: 15 21-25 54.
FG: SFJ – 24/50, 48%; H – 15/35, 43%. 3-pt FG: SFJ – 6/21 (Altenburg 2, Bryant 2, Silvernail, AJohnson); H – 3/6 (Heinz, Harrington, Carr). Rebounds: SFJ 20 (AJohnson, Altenburg 4), H 23 (Knight 10). Assists: SFJ 3, H 7 (Davis 4). Steals: SFJ 11 (Bartels 4), H 7 (Three with 2). Turnovers: SFJ 13, H 22. Fouls: SFJ 21, H 16.
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