Liberty slips past Hubbard

The Leopards won 61-52 without injured top scorer Ashley White.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
HUBBARD -- Playing without its top scorer, the Liberty High girls basketball team still found a way to remain unbeaten in the Trumbull Athletic Conference Monday night.
The Leopards used a balanced attack and good second half defense to post a 61-52 win over Hubbard.
Liberty (9-2, 5-0 TAC) put four players in double figures, led by Michelle Dykes with 15 points and broke open a close contest in the final period.
Switched defenses
The Eagles (3-6) played the Leopards even through the first half, but Liberty came out in a man-to-man defense in the second half.
"Our switching to a man-to-man defense really helped us in the second half," said Liberty High head coach John Hritz.
"I have to give our kids credit, playing without their top scorer they could have just packed it in, but they hung in there and battled right to the end."
Senior Ashley White, who was averaging close to 18 points a game, was injured in the Leopards' last contest and did not play.
"We've been doing this all season long," said Hubbard head coach Jerry Beltempo. "We get in a position to win and then we let them back in. We gave up so many easy layups in the final quarter."
Dykes had plenty of support as the Leopards also got 13 points from Katarina Neskovich along with 13 more from freshman Melissa Dykes. Katie Greaf added 10 points.
Drummond leads Hubbard
Hubbard's Sheila Drummond led all scorers with 18 points, while Tressa Scahill added 10 including a pair of 3-point goals.
The first half was a battle from start to finish as neither team led by more than four points at any time.
Hubbard opened the game with a 5-1 run, but the Leopards scored six straight points, four by Melissa Dykes and regained the lead.
Hubbard went back on top on a 3-point goal by Scahill 8-7 and held the advantage the rest of the period leading 18-14 at the buzzer.
Liberty came back and tied the game at 18-18 on another Melissa Dykes bucket and the game see-sawed back and fourth the rest of the way.
Drummond tied the game at 30-30 with a three-point play and Brianna Pettway deadlocked the contest at halftime making two of three free throws for a 34-34 tie.
Leopards' defense
Liberty's defense held the Eagles to just seven points in the third quarter, while the Leopards went on an 8-0 run, with two baskets by Michelle Dykes to take a 42-38 lead.
Greaf scored the final two baskets of the quarter for the Leopards to pull to a 46-41 margin.
Liberty then took control opening the final quarter with six straight points and a 52-41 advantage, but the Eagles wouldn't quit and after an 8-0 run were within two points 54-52 with 4:10 left in the game.
Unfortunately for Hubbard, the Eagles would not score again as the Leopards finished off the game with a 7-0 run, including three of four from the free throw line.