Shamrock 5th & 6th Grade Teams Sweep Home Tournament

North Harrison’s fifth and sixth grade teams swept their home tournament Saturday, continuing their winning ways.

The girls started off first and beat East Harrison 18-0 to start off. Hali Smith started off the scoring from the high post after a pass from Ava Rinehart. Gracie Young got loose in transition and got a pass from Smith after a steal from Addison Milligan. Young scored again, this time from the wing. Hali Smith drove down the right baseline after getting a pass from Milligan, added a putback, and then knocked one down from the right baseline to make it 12-0 after Gracie Young kept a possession alive in the closing seconds of the first half.

Bentley Glenn opened the scoring in the second half by hitting a shot from the right side after getting a pass from Ava Rinehart. Addison Milligan, who has been improving her ballhandling skills throughout the year, got loose on the right baseline to set up Gracie Young on the other side, and then Milligan added a shot from the left wing after Ava Rinehart got a steal to close out the game.

Hali Smith had 8, Gracie Young 6, and Addison Milligan and Bentley Glenn had 2 each.

The Mercer game for the whole ball of wax was much tougher. North Harrison had beaten Mercer 23-10 earlier in the season, but the Cardinals looked sharp in warmups and were ready to play. #12 had the hot hand early for them as they jumped out to a 6-3 lead at the 7:34 mark. But then North Harrison responded as Hali Smith knocked one down from the high post after a pass from Addison Milligan. Ava Rinehart knocked down another shot from the high post after a pass from Bentley Glenn to put the Shamrocks in front for the first time. Addison Milligan scored off a steal and then Gracie Young got an offensive board and drew a foul with 1.4 seconds left in the half, hitting one of two to put the Shamrocks in front 10-6.

Hali Smith hit a shot from the right side to make it 12-6 at the start of the second half, and then Mercer made frantic efforts to get back in the game. The teams traded buckets throughout the second half, but every time the Cardinals got it to within four, the Shamrocks had an answer as Hali Smith, Bentley Glenn, and Ava Rinehart all chipped in. Mercer had a chance to cut it to two in the closing seconds, but several frantic shots were off the mark and North Harrison came away with the 18-14 win.

Hali Smith had 9 points for the Shamrocks. Ava Rinehart had 4, Addison Milligan and Bentley Glenn had 2 each, and Gracie Young had 1.

The boys had 11 players on their squad, which gave them the luxury of breaking up their squad into fifth and six grade squads. The fifth graders put up good fights against Mercer and East Harrison, but came up short 16-9 in the Mercer game despite a good game from Colton Hartschen and 9-0 in the East Harrison game. 

The sixth graders were tangled with Gilman City. In the early part of March, the Shamrocks had won handily against Gilman City, but the Hawks had gotten much better in the meantime and #4 was victimizing the Shamrocks right and left, either scoring or setting everyone else up. Gilman City led by as much as 8-4 in the first half before Gage Fortner drove down the right side and Jansen Davis hit a 3-pointer to put North Harrison back in front 9-8. #4 carried the Hawks and put them back in front 13-9, but then Jansen Davis cut the lead in half after cutting inside to make it 13-11. 

Gage Fortner tied it up to start the second half, only for #4 to hit a 3-pointer to put Gilman City up 16-13. But then North Harrison found a defensive stopper as they put Dalton Guy on #4, and he shut him down the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Jansen Davis scored off a drive, Ryker Fortner hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key, and Jansen Davis cut inside to make it 20-16. Jansen showed in the first game with Gilman that he can shoot, but he showed his ability to move without the ball as well. 

Gilman City cut it in half to 20-18, but then Dalton Guy made two key plays on the defensive end and one on the offensive end to seal the game. First, Jansen Davis got a steal, got it to Ryker Fortner, who threw it to Guy for the finish to make it 22-18. Then, after #4 got a steal to cut it to 22-20 and the Hawks got the ball back with a chance to tie or take the lead, Guy got a tieup with 47 seconds left. Then, after Jansen Davis scored off a drive with 36 seconds left to make it 24-20, Dalton Guy for a steal to clinch the game.

Jansen Davis had 13 points for the Shamrocks. Gage Fortner had 6, Ryker Fortner 3, and Dalton Guy 2.

The final game was an anticlimax as Gage Fortner hit a 3-pointer and Jansen Davis got a steal to start off the scoring. Mercer cut it to 5-2, but Ryker Fortner hit a 3-pointer, Dalton Guy got a free throw, and Jansen Davis got loose in transition after Gage Fortner got a steal to make it 11-2 at the half.

North Harrison continued to pull away as Dalton Guy hit one from the right side, Jansen Davis hit a 3-pointer after Guy kicked one out to him, Jansen Davis got behind the defense after Gage Fortner aired one out to him, Dalton Guy got a putback, and Ryker Fortner got a steal as the Shamrocks pulled away for the 22-4 win.

Ryker Fortner and Jansen Davis had 7 each. Dalton Guy had 5, and Gage Fortner had 3.