by Benjamin Chase
of the Plainsman
PIERRE — The Huron Tigers won the fourth road game in a row with a 58-36 victory over the Pierre Governors on Tuesday in Pierre.
Huron’s press defense and aggression on offense keyed a strong opening to the game. Hylton Heinz was fouled on the drive on the first possession of the game and sank two free throws. Pierre then turned the ball over, and Abagail Harrington ended up with a floater in the lane on the ensuing possession.
Addyson Knight got a steal and was fouled on her way to the hoop, making one of two free throws. Heinz then picked up a bucket on a baseline drive to push it to 7-0 in the first three minutes of the game.
Heinz would connect on a floater in the lane before Pierre would get their first score on a three from freshman Zoey Bauer to make it 9-3 Huron.
Jayla Schley came off the bench for Huron and got a steal that she took to the other end for a layup, and Hailey Rogers nailed a deep wing three to force Pierre’s second timeout of the first quarter with a 14-3 Tiger lead.
Heinz was fouled on the drive and made one of two charity shots, then Bauer got a steal for Pierre and scored an uncontested layup. The first quarter would close with a 15-5 Huron lead.
A combination of Pierre defensive pressure and some casual Huron ball-handling led to the Governors getting back into the game. Heinz opened the second quarter with a free throw, but Jordyn Kirkie was able to knock down a jumper for Pierre, and on the next possession, Molly Olson nailed a three from the top of the key to bring the home team within 16-10. After another turnover, Huron coach Kody Kopfmann called a timeout to gather his team with 4:48 left in the half.
The Tigers forced a turnover on the first defensive possession after the timeout, and Aly Davis took the ball hard to the hoop and hit two free throws. After another Pierre turnover, Schley scored off the inbounds brought the score to 20-10.
Olson drove through the lane for a bucket for Pierre, but Heinz responded with a pair of free throws. Jasmine Jost got a quick drive to the hoop to cut the lead to 22-14.
Schley then got two buckets, the first on a feed from Davis and then after she got her hands on a deflection on the offensive end, and the Tigers were up 26-14. Davis then sank a free throw, and Chloe Carr made a quick spin move in the post to her left hand for a basket to push the Huron lead to 15 at 29-14 with 90 seconds left in the half.
Jencie Goergen got a foul shot, and Kirkie hit a pair of attempts from the charity stripe to make it 30-16 at halftime.
Heinz opened the second half with a drive for a basket, but Huron turned the ball over, and Emery Larson was fouled and hit both free throws. Kirkie dropped in a floater in the lane, and Davis did the same for Huron to make it 34-20 Huron with 5:40 left in the third quarter.
McKenzie Flottmeyer hit a baseline jumper for Pierre and Larson then hit a three from the top of the key to cut the Huron lead to single digits at 34-25.
Knight found a cutting Heinz for a basket, but Flottmeyer ws fouled and got a pair of free throws to bring Pierre within 36-27.
Huron then went on a 8-0 run to close out the quarter behind a pair of free throws and a post move from Heinz, then Heinz found Carr underneath the hoop for a short basket. Knight found Carr behind the defense as the clock ran out to give Huron a 44-27 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Tigers got the first basket of the fourth on an inbounds pass to a cutting Harrington. Pierre answered immediately with a quick drive by Jost.
Kirkie hit a pair of free throws, then Goergen nailed a three from the top of the key off an inbounds pass to push the Huron lead out to 49-31 with six minutes remaining.
Knight hit a jumper from the free throw line, and Schley got a putback to push the lead out to 53-31. Olson hit a three from the top of the key for Pierre to cut it under 20, 53-34.
Heinz hit a wing three to push the Huron lead to 56-34 with three minutes remaining in the game. Schley got a rebound off her own miss, and Marena Buschbom came off the bench for a Pierre basket to close out scoring or a 58-36 Huron victory.
The Tigers move to 9-7 behind 21 from Heinz and 12 from Schley. The Tigers had eight players score in the game.
Pierre falls to 3-11. Olson and Kirkie each finished with eight points to lead the Governors.
Huron swept the lower-level action, winning the junior varsity game 37-31 and the sophomore game 50-27.
Coach Kopfmann was effusive in praise for his team’s effort, but he was also looking forward to tough opponents down the stretch for the Tigers.
“We did a great job defensively. Everybody played really well,” he said. “This is probably our best full four quarters of a game tonight. We have to keep focusing on looking North and South instead of sideline to sideline because we score nearly every time we do that.”
Huron 15 30 44 58
Pierre 5 16 27 36
Huron (9-7): Hailey Rogers 1 0-2 3, Addyson Knight 1 1-2 3, Aly Davis 1 3-4 5, Hylton Heinz 6 8-10 21, Abagail Harrington 2 0-0 4, Jencie Goergen 1 1-2 4, Chloe Carr 3 0-0 6, Jayla Schley 6 0-0 12. Totals: 21 13-20 58.
Pierre T.F. Riggs (3-11): Jasmine Jost 2 0-2 4, Zoey Bauer 2 0-0 5, Molly Olson 3 0-0 8, Emery Larson 1 2-2 5, Marena Buschbom 1 0-0 2, Jordyn Kirkie 2 4-6 8, McKenzi Flottmeyer 1 2-2 4. Totals: 12 8-12 36.
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