by Benjamin Chase
of the Plainsman
HURON — The Huron Tigers played a spirited game, even leading at halftime over the fifth-ranked Aberdeen Central Golden Eagles, but the Golden Eagles flexed their muscles in the second half to earn a 56-44 victory Thursday at Huron Arena.
The Golden Eagles opened with a putback basket from Kamdyn Borge. Chloe Carr then got two buckets for the Tigers, with a point-blank basket off a drive and dish, then working down the court in transition to make it a 4-2 Huron lead.
Emma Dohrer sank a corner three for the visitors, then Aly Davis had a 5-0 run of her own, draining a corner three and then nabbing a steal and converting the layup to give the Tigers a 9-5 lead.
Hylton Heinz then got on the scoring sheet with a pair of free throws for Huron, and she did the same thing on the next possession for a 13-5 Huron lead.
Heinz then drove in from the wing as the quarter was ticking away, and Borge was fouled and sank a pair of free throws to make it 15-7 Huron lead at the end of one.
Huron’s Chloe Carr puts up a shot against Aberdeen Central’s Kenadi Withers during their game Thursday at Huron Arena.
Heinz hit one of two free throws to open scoring in the second quarter. Dohrer would drive through the defense for two, but then Carr got behind the Aberdeen defense for a layup to make it 18-9 Huron.
Borge drove into the Huron defense and got a basket and drew a foul, though she missed the charity toss. She then hit a side-step three to bring the Golden Eagles within 18-14.
Borge then knocked down a wing three to bring the Tiger lead down to one. Heinz answered with a drive through the Golden Eagle defense for two. Borge responded with a drive that led to two fouls shots. After hitting both, Aberdeen was again within one, 20-19.
Addyson Knight found a cutting Heinz for a basket. Lauryn Burckhard then got behind the Huron defense for two to make it 22-21.
Heinz made a basket off an inbounds pass, but Borge responded with a three to tie the game at 24. Heinz was then fouled, but she missed a pair of free throws.
Heinz hit a left-handed layup in transition, then Burckhard got a bucket in the post. Carr was fouled as the clock ticked off in the first half and sank one of two free throws to send the teams to the locker rooms with Huron leading 27-26.
Huron’s Aly Davis puts up a shot as Aberdeen Central’s Emma Dohrer defends during their game Thursday at Huron Arena.
The Aberdeen defense came out of the locker room playing hard ball, using their height advantage around the court.
Borge had a putback bucket to open the second half scoring. Dohrer then nailed a deep wing three to give the Golden Eagles a 31-27 lead.
Addyson Knight scored on a cut to the hoop for Huron. Burckhard then got a putback and was fouled, though she missed the free throw.
After two Heinz free throws, Burckhard got behind the Tigers defense for a basket and was fouled again, this time hitting the charity toss. Heinz quickly went coast-to-coast for a lay-in to make it 36-33 Aberdeen with 3:31 left in the quarter.
Kenadi Withers knocked down two free throws after Davis committed her fourth foul, sending her to the bench. Borge hit a wing three to bring Central lead to 41-33.
A loose ball was tipped right to Carr under the hoop, but Ava Yeske hit a corner three as time ran out on the quarter to make it 44-35 at the end of three.
Huron’s Hylton Heinz puts up a shot in the paint against Emma Dohrer during Thursday’s game.
Heinz opened the fourth with a baseline drive and a floater that fell, but Yeske knocked down a wing three to push the lead to double-digits, 47-37.
Withers then got a putback and immediately got a steal and an uncontested layup to push the lead to 51-37.
Davis was able to knock down a three, but the Tigers simply couldn’t convert on enough shots down the stretch as the Golden Eagles closed out a 56-44 win.
The Golden Eagles move to 11-5 behind 22 points from Borge, including four three-pointers. Dohrer had 10, and Yeske and Burckhard each had nine points.
Burckhard secured 12 rebounds, and Withers had 11 boards.
The Golden Eagles offensive rebounding and outside shooting earned them the win, according to Huron coach Kody Kopfmann.
“Give them credit; they play hard,” Kopfmann observed. “We did a pretty good job of taking Burckhard away, but we lost shooters, and it hurt us.
The Tigers fall to 9-8 and snap a four-game winning streak. Heinz led the way with 23. Carr had nine points, and Davis added eight.
The Tigers are off until next Friday, when they host Watertown.
Kopfmann says a busy February schedule may have caught up to the girls, but he hopes the team can recharge to be ready for the home stretch.
“Our schedule finally caught up to us, and we got tired,” he said. “It’s a much-needed break this weekend for the girls. Then we’ve got to show up for Watertown and just play our game.”
Aberdeen Central 7 26 44 56
Huron 15 27 35 44
Aberdeen Central (11-5): Ava Yeske 3 0-0 9, Kamdyn Borge 7 4-7 22, Kenadi Withers 2 2-2 6, Emma Dohrer 3 2-2 10, Lauryn Burckhard 4 1-2 9. Totals: 19 9-13 56.
Huron (9-8): Addyson Knight 1 0-0 2, Aly Davis 3 0-0 8, Hylton Heinz 8 7-10 23, Abagail Harrington 1 0-0 2, Chloe Carr 4 1-2 9. Totals: 17 8-12 44.
FG: AC – 19/58 33%; H – 17/45 38%. 3-pt FG: AC – 9/28 (Borge 4, Yeske 3, Dohrer 2); H – 2/10 (Davis 2). Rebounds: AC 36 (Burckhard 12, Withers 11), H 23 (Three with 5). Assists: AC 10 (Dohrer 4), H 9 (Davis 4). Steals: AC 4, H 8 (Knight 3). Turnovers: AC 11, H 12. Fouls: AC 13, H 16 (Heinz out).
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