Spencer's 27 points lead Lady Tiger Cubs over Ladybirds, 54-37

Friday, December 21, 2007

Hannah Spencer scored eight of Greencastle's first 11 points of the game and ended the night with a game-high 27 points as GHS defeated North Central 54-37 Thursday.

"It was her best game. They had a hard time dealing with her. She started dishing the ball a little bit in the second half. She takes a beating every game. She's kind of like the energizer bunny -- she just keeps going. She brings a lot of energy to us," GHS head coach Glen Hile said following the game.

The first half belonged to the Tiger Cubs, with Spencer scorching North Central for 19 points and Becky Grivas adding seven points.

With a minute remaining in the half, Greencastle's Grace Fisher and a North Central player collided, with Fisher hitting the court hard. Play was halted for several minutes while Fisher received medical attention, ultimately being taken from the court on a stretcher as a precautionary measure.

Greencastle junior Becky Grivas goes up strong in the post during the second half of Thursday night's game with North Central.

The first half ended with a Grivas bucket as the horn sounded.

With his starting point guard injured, Hile was proud of his squad's ability to adjust to the adversity and continue its strong play in the second half.

"We could have got down after Grace (Fisher) got injured but the girls bounced right back. Actually the defense tightened up," Hile commented.

North Central started the second half strong, pulling within 10 points a number of times, but they were unable to slow down the GHS charge.

Spencer continued her good play, scoring eight in the half. Grivas contributed five points and Cassie Alspaugh added four.

Hile acknowledged his younger players who saw action against the Ladybirds.

"It was a total team effort. I always tell the girls, you're an injury away from playing. A lot of the young girls got to play tonight and they performed well," Hile said.

The Tiger Cubs cruised through the remainder of the half to walk away with the win.

The season has been one of many tribulations for the Tiger Cubs. The team has struggled with closing out close games and most recently the passing of GHS student Dietrich Jackson rocked the team.

"We're just getting going and now it's Christmas," Hile observed. "This has been a rough week for us. Some of the girls were very close to Dietrich (Jackson) and it's really been hard on us. I wasn't sure how we would play tonight, but they came out and gave a really good effort."

The Tiger Cubs' match up with rival Cloverdale a few weeks ago continues to be a thorn in Hile's side.

"The Cloverdale game really makes me mad now," Hile acknowledged. "We had a chance to get them on their court against a good team and get to 1-0 in the conference.

"Knowing this year, after the season we went through last year, knowing that we have a chance to fight for a (conference) championship is a good feeling. So we're anxious for the second half," Hile commented.

Greencastle will travel to Speedway at 6 p.m. Jan. 4.

At Greencastle

North Central 7 14 9 7 -- 37

Greencastle 17 18 8 11 -- 54

North Central -- Brown 14, Himebrook 13, Drake 4, Kemp 2, Boyll 2, Stone 2. Totals: FG 12-44 FT 4-15 TP 37.

Greencastle -- Spencer 27, Grivas 12, Fisher 7, Alspaugh 6, Nobles 1, M. Miller 1. Totals: FG 22-41 FT 9-13 TP 54.

3pt. FG -- North Central 5 (Brown 4, Himebrook), Greencastle (Fisher).

Next game -- Greencastle will travel to Speedway at 6 p.m. Jan. 4.

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