The lopsided loss to Mercer was misleading; Mercer is unlikely to be seriously challenged this year. North Harrison battled against the size of the Winston team, but scrappy defensive play and 40 boards helped turn the tide.
It looked like Winston was in control after the first quarter as North Harrison was ice cold from the field and fell behind 4-2. But then Trendi Johnson shot the Shamrocks back into the game in the second, getting to the rim as the green shirts tied it at 7 and then 11. Late fouls by the Shamrocks allowed Winston to pull back ahead at the break 14-11.
But then Halle Morgan cleaned up on a steal and knocked one down from the right wing and then got a steal off the press that Trendi converted as the Shamrocks took their first lead of the game at 17-14. Shea Pliley connected to bring the Redbirds back within one, but then Morgan connected from the high post and then found Amber Wilson on the weak side; Wilson hit a free throw. Wilson was dribbling out the clock in the closing seconds when she found Morgan all alone again at the buzzer to put North Harrison up 22-16 after the break.
Trendi Johnson connected from the left wing and added a free throw in the fourth quarter, and the stingy North Harrison defense kept the Redbirds off the board for the first four minutes of the fourth as North Harrison led 25-16.
Winston made a late push to get back in the game as Lily Hocker hit a guarded shot from the left baseline. The Redbirds had fouls to give, so they could afford to be very aggressive in trying to get the ball back. Then, Amber Wilson, who has emerged as one of North Harrison’s most reliable ballhandlers this year, fouled out and Marissa Uthe banked home a free throw with 1:32 left. Winston got the offensive board and in the frantic sequence, the red shirts saw two 3-point tries go in and out.
The Redbirds turned the ball over after a scramble with 45 seconds left, but North Harrison turned the ball over, and there was a scary moment when Trendi Johnson crumpled up on the floor hurt with a possible knee injury. But it turned out to be superfluous, and she was able to walk off under her own power and came back to finish the game.
Uthe saw another 3-pointer go in and out, and it was a seventh grader, Kira Robertson, who got a key defensive board for the Shamrocks and got it to Trendi. Johnson made the clinching free throw with 13.4 seconds left to finally clinch the win.
For North Harrison, Trendi Johnson had 13, Halle Morgan 10, Jaci Davis 2, and Amber Wilson 1.
Halle Morgan had 12 boards, Jaci Davis 8, Trendi Johnson 6, Kira Robertson 5, Carmon Fordyce and Amber Wilson 3, Ashlin Bomar 2, and Cambry Doolittle 1.
Halle Morgan had 3 assists. Jaci Davis had 2, and Trendi Johnson and Amber Wilson had 1.
Amber Wilson had 6 tips. Trendi Johnson had 4, Jaci Davis 3, Carmon Fordyce 2, and Cambry Doolittle, Kira Robertson, Halle Morgan, and Ashlin Bomar 1.
Trendi Johnson had 6 steals. Halle Morgan had 5, Carmon Fordyce 4, Jaci Davis 2, and Amber Wilson and Kira Robertson had 1.
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