OSGOOD — Victory came suddenly, then gradually for Hauser’s girls basketball team Thursday night.
The Jets smacked Crothersville with a 17-0 run in the first quarter to take firm control and then used the next three quarters to progressively pull away to a 64-26 victory in the opening round of the Class A Jac-Cen-Del Sectional.
Thursday’s win — just the second sectional victory for Hauser over the past nine seasons — propels the Jets (13-10) into Friday’s semifinal round, where they will take on Class A No. 7 Trinity Lutheran. The Cougars (18-4) advanced after a thrilling 63-58 double-overtime win over No. 6 Oldenburg Academy in Thursday’s second game.
“Half the teams in the state are going home after tonight, so anytime you can come back and play in the semifinals, that’s something to be excited about,” Hauser coach Kyle Shipp said. “One of the things in our program that we’re building toward is playing our best basketball toward the end of the year. This is another good turn for our program-building, and we think that we’re on the right path.”
Freshman Hayden Dickey enjoyed a perfect night for the Jets, scoring a game- and career-high 22 points on 8-for-8 shooting from the field and a 5-for-5 performance from 3-point range.
“She just went nuts and kind of exploded,” Shipp said. “She wasn’t fazed by the environment, wasn’t fazed after getting two fouls early. She really played well for us.”
June Berkenstock joined Dickey in double figures with 10 points. Braelyn Williams and Kennedy Konradi each added eight points for the Jets. In all, eight players scored for Hauser.
“We were able to sub a lot, get everybody in the game, and let everybody be successful,” Shipp said. “Eight kids scored and we were able to take care of business. It was a good night.”
After Crothersville scored the contest’s first two points, Berkenstock’s eight first-quarter points fueled a 17-point outburst that effectively decided the game. The Tigers (1-17) aided the Hauser’s early run with nine turnovers during the first period.
A 3-pointer by Williams followed by consecutive buckets by Konradi, Dickey and Berkenstock powered an 11-0 run in the second quarter that extended the Jets’ lead to 38-13 just before halftime. Another 11-0 spurt late in the third quarter swelled the advantage to 55-19 and tripped the mercy-rule running clock.
Hauser ended with 11 3-pointers while turning the ball over just 10 times.
One of the Jets’ losses this season came four weeks ago at the hands of Trinity, 53-38, a result Shipp’s team hopes to reverse in the semifinal.
In the nightcap, Trinity fell behind 20-11 in the second quarter before rallying to tie the game at 36-36 after three quarters. The Cougars led by five with less than two minutes left in regulation before the Twisters forced overtime.
Trinity had a chance to win at the end of the first overtime, but missed a pair of free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining. Marley Warren hit a big 3-pointer in the second overtime on her way to a game-high 21 points.
Bailey Bonde recorded 12 points and seven rebounds, and Rachel Bonde scored 12 points for the Cougars. Zoey Dulaney and Emerson Warren each added seven points.
Rising Sun and Shawe Memorial will play in the first semifinal at 6 p.m. Friday. The final will be at 7 p.m. Saturday.
