By Staff
STERLING – After losing game one at the Sterling Invitational, the Smoky Valley girls bounced back to score a 10-point, 53-43 win over host Sterling on Thursday to advance to the fifth place game on Friday.
Now 5-5 for the season, the Lady Vikings will play Kingman for fifth place at the Invitational while the Smoky Valley boys, also 5-5 will also play Kingman for fifth place in the boys division of the Invitational.
Shots were going up like firecrackers as the Lady Vikings attempted 76 shots from the field and won the game despite hitting on just 24% of those while Sterling wasn’t a whole lot better, connecting on 36% of 45 shots. The number of shots taken and the low percentage of makes also made for a real battle in the paint where Sterling outrebounded Smoky Valley by just one, 48-47.
The Lady Vikings earned a slim two-point, 10-8 lead by the end of the first quarter and had a seven-point, 26-19, advantage when the two teams broke for halftime. Sterling chipped a couple points of their deficit in the third quarter before Smoky Valley rebounded and gained the final 10-point victory.
Adrian Hazelwood had a huge game for the Lady Vikings, recording a double-double by leading the team with 23 points and grabbing 13 rebounds to go along with six assists, five steals and a pair of blocks.
While Tinley Scott also reached double digits in scoring with 12, Katja Blanchat just missed a double-double in scoring nine points and tying with Hazelwood for the team lead in the paint with 13 rebounds.
SMOKY VALLEY LADY VIKINGS vs. Sterling at Sterling Invitational
SCORING: LADY VIKINGS > 10-16-12-15 = 53; Sterling > 8-11-14-10 = 43.
TEAM STATS: LADY VIKINGS > FGs – 18/76; 3-PTs – 3/14; FTs – 14/23; AST – 14; REBs – 47; TO – 10; STLs – 27; BLKs – 2; FLs – 15. Sterling > FGs – 16/45; 3-PTs – 5/14; FTs – 6/12; AST – 12; REBs – 48; TO – 28; STLs – 8; BLKs – 6; FLs – 17.
SMOKY VALLEY LADY VIKINGS INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS: Scoring > Adrian Hazelwood – 23; Tinley Scott – 12; Katja Blanchat – 9; Breanne Peters – 4; Eva Malm – 3; Clara McElroy – 2. 3-Pointers Made > Scott – 2; Malm – 1. Assists > Hazelwood – 6; Blanchat, Peters, McElroy – 2. Rebounds > Hazelwood, Blanchat – 13; Scott – 5; McElroy – 2. Steals > Hazelwood – 5; Malm – 3; Blanchat, Peters, McElroy, Sophia Fruits – 2. Blocked Shots > Hazelwood – 2.
(The Staff covering McPherson County Activities can be reached by email at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)