Lady Hornets down Purple Eagles

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 21 January 2017 at 7:06 pm

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Emily Blanchard goes up for a shot against Oakfield-Alabama defender Makayla Hilchey during the Purple Eagles loss to the host Lady Hornets this afternoon.

Oakfield-Aalbama used a 12-4 scoring edge over the final five minutes to claim a 56-47 win over visiting Albion this afternoon in a non league girls basketball game.

Leading by a narrow 44-43 margin, the host Lady Hornets closed with a surge on baskets by Makayla Hilchey and Brianna Smith along with 6 free throws by Kylie Schlagenhauf and 2 by Smith to improve to 12-1 on the season.

Smith finished with a game high 20 points and Schlagenhauf 13 as Lauren Reding added 10, Hilchey 6, Lakin Woodward 5 and Hannah Scarborough 2.

Caitlynn Snook scored 11 and Emily Blanchard 10 to lead Albion (8-4) which played without season long scoring and rebounding leader Chanyce Powell due to a foot injury. Janae Doty added 7, Sierra Chudy 6, Natalie DiCureia 5 and Nicole Eldred and Elisabeth Baker 4.

Albion’s Caitlynn Snook drives against Oakfield-Alabama defender Hannah Scarborough.

Traling 6-4 after a low scoring opening quarter, Oakfield-Alabama put together a 12-0 run to open the second period on two threes by Reding and three layups by Smith to take a 16-6 lead.

However, Albion answered with a 10-4 run to close the period and rally back to within 4, 20-16, at the half. Eldred, Chudy and Snook all had buckets during that stretch.

Albion quickly regained a 22-20 lead at the outset of what proved to be a sea-saw third period on two baskets by Snook and one by DiCureia.

In all there were 5 ties and 9 lead changes in the wild period which finished with Albion holding a slender 38-37 lead after a three-point play by Snook with eight seconds to go. Snook had a total of 7, Blanchard 5, Doty and Barker 4 and DiCureia 2 in the stanza.

The lead proved to be the last though for the Purple Eagles as the Lady Hornets opened the decisive final period with a 7-0 run, including a three and a two by Lakin Woodward and a layup by Smith, to move back on top to stay at 44-38.

Albion did rally back to within one at 44-43 with five minutes to go after a layup by Blanchard and a three by DiCureia. The Purple Eagles though could not pull even and in fact could not score again for over four minutes during which time the Lady Hornets built up a 50-43 lead.

Albion didn’t score again until Doty hit a three with just 25 seconds remaining to make it 50-46.

The Lady Hornets though closed out the win on 4 free throws by Schlagenhauf and 2 by Smith in the final 25 seconds.

Albion’s Elisabeth Baker puts up a shot as Oakfield-Alabama’s Brianna Smith tries for the block.