Good free throw shooting lifts Hubbard past Girard

The Eagles made eight of nine from the line and sank two baskets in overtime to beat the Indians, 55-52.

By JIM FLICK

Vindicator correspondent

HUBBARD — The Hubbard High girls basketball team sank eight of nine free throws and made two baskets in overtime to defeat Girard 55-52 Wednesday night.

“In practice, we concentrate on those situations,” said Hubbard coach Ross Stoffer. “In overtime, making free throws is a key.”

Jillian Hinkle, a junior, was the key to Hubbard’s success in overtime, sinking four free throws and adding a field goal. Hinkle was the high scorer for Hubbard (5-3) with 12 points.

Kelly Bullock and Allie DeLuco each added two free throws in the four-minute overtime.

“Girard is a tough team,” Stoffer added. “We wanted to keep them off the boards, and we did a lot of the time.”

“We missed some key shots,” said Girard coach Andy Saxon. “They executed well at the end. It came down to free throws here, free throws there.

“It was a well-played game by both teams,” Saxon added.

At the start of the game, defense dominated for both teams. Hubbard held a thin lead throughout the first half, 7-6 at the end of the first quarter and 15-14 at halftime.

Thanks to strong defensive play on both ends of the court, in the first half, the shooting for both teams was as cold as the weather outside.

Hubbard sank only four of 13 shots in the first half, while Girard connected on six out of 21 attempts.

Girard (2-5) took its first lead of the night in the opening moment of the second half, when Melissa Weitzman sank a shot to put Girard ahead 16-15. Hubbard retook the lead 18-16 when Haley Turner hit a jumper, was fouled, and sank a free throw.

But Girard’s Kaitlynne Brainard sank two free throws and a 3-pointer to give Girard a 21-18 lead. She sank total of four 3-pointers as part of her game-high 20 points.

At the end of three quarters, Girard held a 29-28 lead.

Hubbard battled back in the fourth quarter, and held a 43-41 lead with only 25 seconds left in regulation time.

But Brainard sank a running up layup for Girard in the game’s final second to tie the score at 43-43 and force overtime.

In overtime, Girard scored the first three points on free throws before Hubbard started its game-winning parade to the free-throw line.

Brainard hit her final 3-pointer of the night with only 2.8 left in the game to pull Girard to within a point, at 53-52.

On the subsequent inbounds play, the Indians intentionally fouled DeLuco, who stepped to the free-throw line and sank two foul shots for Hubbard’s final points.