STONE, PENNER, HAWKINSON LEAD ELYRIA
By William
ELYRIA – A strong first quarter helped power the Elyria Christian girls basketball team to a 17-point, 43-26 victory at home on Friday over Smoky Valley Homeschool.
The Lady Eagles powered out to a 15-point, 17-2, first quarter advantage before settling in to take a 26-9 lead at the halftime break and then play even in the final two quarters to earn the 17-point win.
“This was a good opportunity to have a quick turnaround after a gam to face another quality opponent without having much preparation,” noted Lady Eagle Head Coach Greg Fields. “I was really impressed with the athleticism of Smoky Valley Homeschool. They played some great defense, and they did not have any quit in them. I think they may have had more blocked shots against us than any team we have faced this season.”
While the point was true as Smoky Valley Homeschool blocked five shots, Elyria also committed 33 turnovers which did not help in increasing the lead.
Allie Stone led the Lady Eagles with 12 points which included three three-pointers while Kylee Penner also hit double digits with 11 and Ryland Hawkinson just missed with nine points.
The Lady Eagles forced 17 steals in the game, led by Stone with five, Olivia Peters with four and both Hawkinson and Alexus Swenson swiping three each.
Inside the paint it was a solid team effort as they had 32 as a team with both Penner and KiLynn Starburg each grabbing six while Peters and Hawkinson each pulled down five each.
Speaking of his players, Coach Fields continued his reflections on the game by adding, “Allie (Stone) did a really nice job leading the team in both scoring and steals. It shows how hard she works in all aspects of the game. If she continues to improve at the pace she has, she is going to be a special player. Kylee (Penner) and Ryland (Hawkinson) both played well for us inside again. It seemed like we were getting out rebounded, but these two helped us win the rebounding battle overall. Olivia Peters continues to pile up her steals, which is something she takes a lot of pride in.”
Fields then concluded his reflections by looking at where the team is at heading into the Christmas break, saying, “It has been a crazy few weeks to start this season, but we knew it would be. It has been nice to see our girls be flexible and open to scheduling changes at the last moment. They are showing that they are not afraid of dealing with adversity, and they are willing to work hard through difficulties. We have not had the easiest schedule in the short time that we have played, so I am incredibly pleased to go into the break with a 5-2 record. I am excited to see what 2021 brings.”
Elyria Lady Eagles also hammered Smoky Valley Homeschool in the junior varsity game, winning 39-17.
Taking a 5-2 record into the break, the Lady Eagles will return to the competitive hardwood on Friday, December 8 when they will travel to Solomon.
Smoky Valley Homeschool at ELYRIA CHRISTIAN
SCORING: 1 2 3 4 FINAL
SV Homeschool 2 7 11 6 26
LADY EAGLES 17 9 11 6 43
TEAM STATS: SV Homeschool LADY EAGLES
FGM-FGA 9-52 16-39
3PTM-3PTA 1-6 5-15
FTM-FTA 7-11 6-12
ASSISTS 5 13
REBOUNDS 25 32
TURNOVERS 28 33
STEALS 14 17
BLOCKED SHOTS 5 1
FOULS 16 14
ELYRIA CHRISTIAN LADY EAGLE INDIVIDUAL SCORING/STAT LEADERS:
Allie Stone = 12 points with 3 3-pointers, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 steals.
Kylee Penner = 11 points with 6 rebounds, 3 assists.
Ryland Hawkinson = 9 points with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals.
Olivia Peters = 4 points with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals.
Alexus Swenson = 3 points with 1 3-pointer, 3 rebounds, 3 steals.
KiLynn Starburg = 3 points with 6 rebounds, 1 3-pointer, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot, 2 steals.
Olivia Clark = 1 point with 2 assists.
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