HARRISBURGA On Friday night, an exciting clash took place at the gym in Susquehanna Township.
In an attempt to stay ahead of Trinity for the top slot in the Mid-Penn Capital Division, Boiling Springs swept into Hanna in second place. After a 1-3 start to the season, Hanna was hoping to continue to improve.
The show did not disappoint, even if the stakes were higher than in a typical mid-season match.
The game began slowly, but after a thrilling second half, Boiling Springs (12-1, 6-1) defeated Hanna (5-5, 4-3) 50-49.
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It would be an understatement to say that both teams had a difficult first half. Both teams played poor basketball as a result of unforced mistakes, turnovers, and missed shots.
However, Jaycee Martin was the reason Hanna seemed to have the upper hand.
Martin put together a couple standout plays that captivated the audience in between all of the missed shots and turnovers. Boiling Springs, however, kept pace.
Molly Kimmel of Boiling Springs made a game-winning three-pointer to give the Lady Bubblers a narrow 22–20 advantage at the half.
BS leads 22–20 at the half.Turnovers and getting shots to fall have been major problems for both sides.Hanna seemed to have momentum the entire half, but the BS persisted.Going into halftime, the Bubblers had the lead thanks to this Molly Kimmel buzzer-beating three.Twitter: https://AaiJwyaB2a.
The story was entirely different in the second half.
Hanna and Boiling Springs exchanged baskets for the first four minutes, bringing some life to a slumbering crowd. Martin’s solo 10-2 run with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter put Hanna ahead 38-32, sending the fans into a frenzy.
With their backs to the wall, Boiling Springs responded to Martin’s surge with an 11-0 run under Gillian Mandell’s leadership from the end of the third quarter to the start of the fourth.
The Bubblers, who were now in control, played aggressive defense, particularly while defending Hanna’s perimeter players.
With 3:15 left in the game, Hanna went on a 5-0 run to narrow the deficit to one after falling behind 47-41. The next Boiling Springs possession ended in a wild sequence when Mandell drew a foul.
She only produced one.Mandell scored on the other end, giving BS the lead once more, after Barnes came down and made a three-pointer, giving Hanna a one-point edge.With 13.4 seconds left and the ball in play, BS is ahead 50-49.
Hanna had a single chance to win with six seconds left.
Just off the rim’s side, shot With a 50-49 triumph, BS escapes.pic.twitter.com/QUohojnYV6
A spectacular game between the Capital Division rivals was ended by a miss off the side of the basket.
The stars
On Friday night, Mandell finished second on the team with 15 points, but her final-minute performance helped the Lady Bubblers win.
She played strong defense around the hoop to prevent Hanna from getting easy baskets and led the run that gave the Bubblers momentum.
She made as many unrecorded plays as there were plays that were listed on the stat sheet.
For the Lady Indians, Martin was the epitome of a fantastic Friday night.
She was there when Hanna needed a bucket or a lift in momentum, and her 30 points was a career high.
Moments that win games
The Bubblers’ triumph was largely due to Mandell’s play in the second half, although the team’s final two possessions also contributed to the victory.
Mandell caught a loose ball during Hanna’s comeback and was awarded a trip to the free throw line.
With 1:03 left, Mandell is heading to the linepic.twitter.com/KDcfW87gVR
Hanna took the lead after Aaliyah Barnes made a three-pointer after only making one. Mandell composed the game-winning basket that gave Boiling Springs the victory.
They stated it.
Springs That Boil What worked for the Bubblers in the closing moments and what it’s like in those late-game situations, according to Mia Hemlerpic.twitter.com/nmjLqqoOym
Our group had a great deal of grit. They are a hardy group. They just keep working hard, trying to get excellent shots, and being aggressive, even though it’s not always pretty. I’m quite pleased with the team’s performance and perseverance.Elwood Kimmel, the head coach of Boiling Springs, spoke about how his squad achieved the win.
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Rymir Vaughn can be followed on X@RymirVaughn.
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