What a night it was for Stephanie Hatch, Tuesday night at Bellwood Antis high school, as she needed just eight points for her 1000th point. Coming into the game, Hatch was already averaging well over 10 points per game, so hitting 1000 was most definitely going to be Tuesday night.
Bellwood-Antis started off the game with Hatch nailing the first five points for the Lady Devils, closing in on her thousandth point early in the first. The crowd seemed to get more anxious every time she took a shot, wanting her to hit her milestone. The Everett Warriors were just trying to stop her from scoring period. She was one tough offensive player to handle, as well on the defensive side throughout the contest.
After the first quarter, Bellwood trailed only one point, 8-7, Hatch leading the way with five points. The game was slowed down early due to Everett’s extended 2-3 zone that sent girls in every direction and allowing no open Lady Devils on offense.
The second quarter continued with both teams struggling on offense, looking to make runs on the fast break but both teams denied every chance.
When Sue Conner, the head coach from Everett, received a technical foul, Hatch was chosen to shoot two foul shots. Hitting both would put her one point shy of her thousandth point, but she hit only one of two.
“Steph [Hatch] came out real well and hit a couple big shots,” coach Nick Lovrich said. “She got a little cold, I think she was getting nervous about getting to that thousandth point. We talked before the game that it is a kind of distraction, but a good distraction. It is one of those things that everybody wants to be involved in that last point. It may have taken us out of our offense a little bit, but I don’t think it affected our game.”
With time still ticking down, Bellwood tied the game at 12 with 4:04 to go in the half as Lauren Carter put back after a failed three point attempt from Jamie Smith.
After a turnover by Everett, Bellwood looked to take the lead once again late in the half against this tough 2-3 zone. Jamie Smith made a nice pass to Hatch at the foul line and she drained a turn-around jumper that sent the crowd wild.
As time was stopped to congratulate Stephanie Hatch, she was hugged by all of her teammates at center court. It was her family that she ran to and they gave her all the attention she needed on this special day.
“I felt really nervous,” Hatch said, “but I knew that I could do it. At first I just wanted to rush and get it over with, but my teammates told me to calm down. I looked at my Grandma and she told me that there was no pressure and I could make it if I wanted, so that really helped me a lot. I really wanted to do this for my Grandma because that was her goal for me to do before the season was over. I wanted to make her proud so that made me feel really good. When you have Mellissa Sitman and Katie Gardner scoring a thousand also, it is a real privilege to be among those players.”
After the long standing ovation, Everett turned on the jets finishing the half on an 8-0 tear taking a five point lead, 19-14 going into the half.
“We wanted to stick to our game and play tough defense, and that’s what we did,” coach Nick Lovrich said. “We wanted to play aggressive on offense and we took an early lead in the first half, but then we got a little stagnant. We didn’t work the ball inside and it was all clogged up most of the game.”
Coming out for the second half, Bellwood trailed just five points and looked to get themselves back into the game with a couple of quick shots.
As the third quarter started off, Bellwood ran a trick play lining all the girls at the defensive end of the court watching Jamie Smith take an uncontested lay-up for two points. It was priceless to see the trick work to perfection.
Jamie Smith and Jenna Ralston nailed Bellwood’s first four points of the quarter, but were quickly answered back by Amy Cessna keeping the game at a six point spread, 24-18.
After a timeout from Lovrich, Hatch got in on a rebound and tipped in a shot and made it look easy.
After a bucket from Carter and Hatch, the score read 32-24 after three quarters in favor of the Lady Warriors from Everett as they looked to continue their tough defensive stand in the fourth.
“They took away our inside game with the 2-3 zone,” Lovrich said. “We started taking advantage of it toward the end of the game by moving the basketball around. I think we settled for too many one pass shots sometimes. If we moved the ball around a little bit more we probably could have gotten the ball inside, but we’ve hit those shots in the past when they were shooting them and tonight we were just off.”
Going to the fourth, Bellwood trailed by eight, but there was still room for a comeback and they began to crawl back.
Jenna Ralston drained a three to start off the fourth quarter as Bellwood went on a 10-3 run cutting the lead to 35-34 with just 1:48 to go in the game as Jamie Smith nailed a long three.
Time ran down, and just under a minute left, Jerrica Smith was fouled and went to the line to shoot a one and one with :26 seconds to go in the game. She hit both and Everett took a three point lead, 38-35 as Bellwood looked to answer at the offensive end.
With time running down, Hatch looked for a three from the corner, but it trickled out and Carter fought hard to put it back to make it 37-36 Everett as Lovrich called a timeout with :08 to go.
After a long inbound pass, Amy Miller was fouled quickly by Hatch that sent her to the line for a one and one also. There was all the pressure in the world on her as Lovrich called a timeout to try and ice her.
After the timeout, Miller missed her foul shot only to be tipped back by Amy Cessna to put them back up three.
Hatch quickly took the inbound and went straight down the court and put up a desperation three, but it fell short as the Lady Blue Devils lose to Everett, 39-36 in a thriller.
Well the first thing we wanted to do was to get the rebound,” Lovrich said. “It was Steph’s night and she hit her thousandth point so we wanted the ball in her hands for the last shot. Being six foot tall its really tough to block her shot. She has the moves for the last second shot and that’s what we wanted to do, get the ball to her in the end.”
With the loss, Bellwood is now 9-12 and will face Juniata Valley Thursday at home. Hatch led Bellwood with 14 points including her 1000th point in the game. An impressive night to remember in Bellwood Antis girls basketball as the fifth member of the 1000 point club has arrived. Kathy Geis, Melissa Sitman, Misty Meredith, Katie Gardner and now, Stephanie Hatch are all in Bellwood’s 1,000 point club and have earned their respect from all the Lady Blue Devils through the years.
Everett’s Amy Cessna scored 18 for the Lady Warriors in their win on the road against Bellwood Tuesday night. The Warriors improve to 13-7 on the season after the big win.
Everett 39 Bellwood-Antis 36
Bellwood-Antis – Claar 0 0-0 0, Hatch 6 2-4 14, Ralston 2 0-0 5, Carter 4 2-2 10, Smith 3 0-0 7, Sinisi 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 4-6 36.
Everett – Miller 1 0-1 3, Layton 4 1-2 11, Cessna 7 4-5 18, Clark 0 1-2 1, Smith 2 2-4 6. Totals 14 8-14 39.
Score by Quarters
Everett 8 11 13 7 – 39
Bellwood-Antis 7 7 10 12 – 36
Three point goals: Everett-2 (Layton-2)
Bellwood-Antis-2 (Ralston, Smith)
Jayvee Lady Blue Devils can’t stop three point bombs
The Lady Warriors from Everett put on a three point session draining 10 three point field goals in the big win against the Lady Blue Devils.
Chelsea Young had seven points for Bellwood as they lost a big one, 56-16 to Everett at home.
Morgan Barkman and Amy Miller led the way as they hit nine three-point field goals between the two of them. Barkman hit 23 points along with 12 from Miller in the win
