Rematch goes the way of South Putnam

Friday, January 29, 2016
Miranda Beighler takes off for a bucket against Cloverdale Thursday. She had a game-high 14 points. (Banner Graphic/JAY LOCKETT)

CLOVERDALE -- South Putnam girls' basketball team staved off a Cloverdale comeback bid and the Eagles spoiled a CHS senior night taking the win 51-41 in what was the third matchup between the Clovers and Eagles this season.

It was quite a turn around for an Eagle team that lost Cloverdale 68-36 last Friday.

The game Thursday was the last of the regular season for both South Putnam and Cloverdale and each team will be looking to get off to a good start in the South Putnam sectional next week.

Cloverdale seniors Payton Dorsett, Haley Hamm, Mariah Huge and Angela Pieper look forward to the sectional rematch with North Putnam Tuesday. (Banner Graphic/JAY LOCKETT)

"It's all 0-0," South Putnam's Katie Hewitt said. "So you have to go hard. You have to play as a team. It's all about sticking together and playing for one another. We're just excited to go back out and get another chance at Cascade."

In the game Tuesday South Putnam came out tough and turned a 5-0 lead into a 13-5 lead before Cloverdale could begin its comeback.

"Give credit to South Putnam," CHS coach Matt Langdon said. "They came in here last week and we shot the lights out and put it to them in a sense. But (SPHS coach Brain Gardner) had his girls ready to play tonight. His shooters were much more active and early on we just kind of lost them. It wasn't due to effort. Maybe it was a little bit of a loss of focus."

After the Eagle run the Lady Clovers went on their own run and ended the quarter down 16-9. Haley Hamm knocked down a three and Mariah Huge put in two buckets to help stifle the Eagles.

The Eagle shooting came from Lillie Stein, who fought to get inside and scored seven first-quarter points. Miranda Bieghler, who scored a game-high 14 points, knocked down a three along with two foul shots.

"We've competed really hard and tonight was no different," Gardner said. "For Katie Hewitt and Jess Modglin it's their last regular season game and they've really done a great job of getting everyone on the same page and being great leaders. Tonight was evident of that."

After South Putnam took the lead early the game was evenly mached for the rest of the night. Bieghler scored six more points in the second to help with the 12 second-quarter Eagle points and Hamm, who went 4-7 from long range, score two more threes to help with the Clover 12.

Gardner said he hopes to see his Eagles continue to attack the paint, as that's when South Putnam is most effective and he believes if the team is scoring from in the paint and blocking out then his girls will be able to continue winning.

"We've got to continue to defend the way we've been defending," Gardner said. "We always talk about limiting teams to one shot. We've got to do that. The other thing is we've got to continue to attack the basket. When we attack the rim and put others on their heels, that puts us in really great shape. For us it's attacking with patience."

In the second South Putnam managed to push its lead to 20-9 before the Clovers went on a 11-6 run and ended the half down 28-21.

Into the third, Jessica Vensko, who saw extra playing time due to Maddie McHugh being out with a foot injury, put up six points and Caitlin Capps added four more to round out the 10-7 third quarter.

Hamm knocked down her final three for Cloverdale and Kelsey Helterbrand and Tori Combs both scored a bucket. Combs was quiet on the scoring front but ended the game with 13 boards as she was a force at both ends of the floor.

CHS actually trimed the lead down to four points with two minutes left in the third but South Putnam answered the bell and rattled of six straight to put the lead back at 10. The Eagles held that lead for the rest of the night despite some serious effort on Cloverdale's part to get within striking distance.

"Tonight was really like one of those tournament games where you have to take care of the basketball down the stretch," Gardner said. "You've got that lead. There's two minutes left and we are only up five and we doubled that lead because we boxed out, limited them to one shot and we hit our free throws down the stretch. You've got to do that when it comes to the tournament."

The fourth quarter was a stalemate despite the Clover effort. At one point CHS was only down 41-46 with a minute to go but CHS could not make any more headway as the Eagles were solid at the end of the game. Hewitt when three-for-three from the foul line and also added a bucket. SPHS also enjoyed three foul shots from Bieghler, one from Modglin and a bucket from Capps.

Cloverdale made seven free throws and Payton Dorsett and Abby Walker each added a bucket but the 13-13 fourth quarter meant South Putnam had done its job as the Eagles walked away with the win.

"You have an off night and you make it go all the way to the end, I'm proud of the girls," Langdon said. "I think we missed 14-15 free throws and right there is the ball game. Moving forward I don't think we'll take this as a step back. We really feel that we did some good things tonight.

Cloverdale (8-14) will be looking at a rematch with its WIC division and Putnam County rival North Putnam (3-19) on Tuesday in the second game of the South Putnam sectional.

"We know North Putnam," Langdon said. "Once it gets to sectional time, the records are out. We've said that on the other end but this is one of the few occasions where we are on the other end of it. We've had a few more wins than them but they will be hungry. Coach will be telling them it's 0-0 and the last two wins didn't matter. We have to be ready for a dogfight."

Langdon said he is looking to push the ball aggressively up the court against the taller Cougars next week.

"The seniors especially were emotional after the game and that's what you want you want it to matter," Langdon said. "I saw a lot of focus. The hurt will go away quick because this is the first time we are going into the sectional and really looking to not just have a good showing but looking to get a couple of wins under our belt and see what happens.

South Putnam (11-11) will be hosting Cascade (13-8) in the first game at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

"For my girls' I can't be more proud of them," Gardner said. "We've had some injuries here and Jess Vensko came in and played some good minutes for us. She came in the second have and did some great things for us. That's what you have to have when you have a great team. I couldn't be prouder.

SPHS 16 12 10 13 -- 51

CHS 9 12 7 13 -- 41

Eagle scoring

19-41 (Beighler 4-10 5-13 14, Hewitt 2-8 5-5 9, Capps 4-7 8, Stein 3-4 7, Vensko 3-5 6, Nichols 2-4 4, Modglin 1-3 1-4 3 )

3-pt shooting Stein 1-1, Bieghler 1-4 Reb: Capps 6, Bieghler 7, Hewitt 5, Modglin 3, Stein 3, Vensko 2 Asst: Modglin 2, Biegler 3, Capps 1 Stl: Hewitt 3, Capps 2, Stein 1 Blk: Hewitt 1

Clover Scoring

13-42 (Hamm 4-9 0-2 12, Walker 2-13 4-6 8, Dorsett 2-5 3-5 7, Combs 1-4 3-8 5, Helterbrand 2-4 0-2 4, Huge 2-2 4, Meek 0-2 1-2 1)

3-pt shooting Hamm 4-7 Reb: Combs 13, Dorsett 7, Helterbrand 3, Walker 2, Huge 2, Hamm 2, Pieper 1 Asst: Combs 3, Hamm 1, Walker 1 Stl: Combs 4, Helterbrand 3, Hamm 1, Dorsett 1, Huge 1 Blk: Hamm 1

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