HOPE — Indianapolis Lutheran had a great scouting report on Hauser player Tori Chandler. The Saints kept her in check throughout much of the first half.
Lutheran, however, happened to miss the reports on substitutes Jada Asher and Mykenzie Ault.
Ault hit two big jump shots, and then Asher hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Jets a huge spark. The duo combined to score 12 of the 17 second-quarter points to lift the Jets to a 55-35 girls basketball victory.
Hauser (6-1) was without starter Grace Hasler, who was at a national rodeo event. Asher and Ault picked up the slack in her absence after the team was off a bit of a slow start in the first quarter.
“I knew that someone had to step up, and I kept myself pumped up,” said Asher, who scored all eight of her points in the second quarter. “We all encouraged each other to keep going, and I knew I had to contribute and not disappoint the team.”
Once Chandler got going in the second half, there was no stopping her. She hit back-to-back baskets to open the second half to extend the lead to 31-17. Near the end of the third quarter, Hailey Lange hit consecutive buckets to for a 39-26 lead after three quarters.
Chandler finished with a game-high 18 points.
“We had a lot of girls step up and fill the places where we needed to,” Chandler said.
After maintaining a 43-30 lead early in the fourth quarter, the Jets put the game away by going on an 8-2 run.
Hauser’s defense and rebounding was also a big factor in picking up the victory. Taylor Henderson grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds to go along with six points. Lange and Sarah Tedder each added six points, as well.
The balanced scoring effort pleased Hauser coach Brad Hamilton.
“(Asher and Ault) had to sit a lot so far, and I kept encouraging them and telling them that their day is coming and that happened today,” Hamilton said. “They stepped up and made a huge difference. The big factor is that everyone contributed in this game. These kids are all in and working together and have great attitudes, and I’m very proud of them.”
