Khloey Sperry powered Gilman City with 50 points throughout the HDC Tournament and the Hawks won their third tournament of the year with a 63-32 win over archrival Tri-County and a 46-37 win over Mercer in the finals. Following their first loss of the year, a 50-39 loss at Grundy County, they have played four games against foes they have previously played and have done better against each one. They have done it on the defensive end, holding each of their last opponents to 37 points or less.
Against Tri-County, the Mustangs hung with the Hawks for the early part of the game, taking a 9-8 lead after a 3-pointer from Addison Dodds with 1:05 left in the first. But then the fouls started to come, and when Alexis Neely went to the bench with two, Gilman City started to take control. Avery Gregg hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with time winding down to put Gilman City in front 12-9.
Four different Hawks scored during the next stretch as they started to gain separation. Hailey McClure, who has gained a lot of speed just since the start of the season, drove and scored to start off the scoring. Khloey Sperry got loose in transition, Tenley Griffith inbounded one to Alli Burke, and Avery Gregg cashed in at the free throw line after Tenley got a steal to make it 20-13. Sperry’s putback made it 22-13.
With their backs to the wall, Tri-County put on their press, which had gotten them back in it against North Nodaway and North Harrison. But the fouls continued to mount, with their best shooter, Allee Prescott, going to the bench with three fouls, and the Hawks continued to pull away. Alli Burke hit her second triple of the quarter, Avery Gregg cashed in off a Tenley Griffith steal, Khloey Sperry scored from inside after Tenley got her the ball, Burke drove and spun to two more points, Khloey Sperry scored from inside off a pass from Avery Gregg, and Alli Burke hit from the top of the key to make it 36-17 at the halftime buzzer. It was the second buzzer-beater for the Lady Hawks.
But the third quarter started off well for the Mustangs, who had Allee Prescott shooting them back into the game, hitting three triples in a row. Alexis Neely added a free throw to make it 40-27 at the 3:11 mark. But then Prescott picked up her fourth foul during a ball scramble with Avery Gregg, killing their momentum, and Lily Turner followed her to the bench with four and Alexis Neely picked up her third. Meanwhile the Hawks regained their lead as Khloey Sperry got a putback, later added a free throw, and then Paisley Taggart got a steal, fed Tenley Griffith, who aired it out to Avery Gregg at the buzzer to make it 45-28 after three.
Alli Burke hit a 3-pointer and Paisley Taggart hit another to start the fourth quarter to push the Hawk lead to 51-29. There were some anxious moments as Sperry picked up her fourth foul and Lily Turner chipped away at the line to make it 51-30. But Sperry stayed in and knocked one down from the baseline to restart the Hawks. Playing aggressively with four fouls, Sperry blocked a shot, Tenley Griffith got the rebound, and aired it out to Avery Gregg for two. Paisley Taggart ran with Avery on another fast break situation and got the ball from her for two. Alli Burke drove and cashed in at the free throw line for two, and Khloey Sperry got passes from Paisley Taggart and Avery Gregg to finish out the night.
Khloey Sperry had 24 points for the Hawks. Alli Burke had 19, Avery Gregg 10, Paisley Taggart 5, Hailey McClure 4, and Tenley Griffith 1.
Khloey Sperry and Pyper Taggart had 2 blocks each.
Khloey Sperry had 14 boards. Tenley Griffith had 9, Alli Burke 7, Hailey McClure 6, Avery Gregg 5, and Paisley Taggart 1.
Khloey Sperry and Avery Gregg had 6 assists. Tenley Griffith had 5, Paisley Taggart 3, Alli Burke 2, and Hailey McClure 1.
Khloey Sperry and Hailey McClure had 5 tips. Tenley Griffith had 4, Alli Burke 2, and Avery Gregg 1.
Tenley Griffith had 6 steals. Alli Burke, Avery Gregg, and Khloey Sperry had 3, and Hailey McClure and Paisley Taggart 2.
There was good reason to want the Grundy County game back after the loss earlier in the season, but Mercer flat outplayed the Panthers, who couldn’t buy a bucket after they hit everything against Gilman City. The Cards weathered a third quarter run and beat the Panthers 36-22 to get into the finals.
Gilman City was shorthanded in its first game with Mercer, with its starting five having to play all 32 minutes to gut out a close game against the Cards in their first game. But they were back to full strength in Saturday’s game and the game started off well for the Hawks, with Avery Gregg driving into the high post and scoring and Khloey Sperry twice going to coast, cashing in for two at the line and once for a layup as the Hawks went up 6-2.
But Tenley Griffith picked up two quick fouls and was out at the 5:01 mark, and Mercer made good use of her absence, grabbing 8 of their 12 offensive boards while she was on the bench for the remainder of the half. Kylie Holt cashed in off a steal to tie it at 6, and the Cards hung around for the remainder of the first quarter before Alli Burke slashed and scored to make it 15-11 after one.
Alli Burke hit a 3-pointer, and Khloey Sperry hit a shot in the high post with a hand in her face, but the Cards switched from a man to a 2-3 zone and hung around the rest of the first half, closing to within 22-20 after Sari Rogers’ triple.
Mercer switched to the triangle and two on Sperry and Gregg they had used in the first game, and they continued to pick apart Gilman’s zone, getting two three-pointers from Payton Houk, one from Kylie Holt, and one from Zoe Fisher as they kept working it to the top of the key to the open person. Meanwhile, Gilman City looked like they were in trouble as they couldn’t buy a bucket, just like Grundy County couldn’t buy a bucket in its game with the Cards. The Hawks were trailing 32-25 at the 2:16 mark.
But with 1:43 left in the third, something changed as Alli Burke slashed and scored and Gilman City switched to a man to man, which they had rarely used this year. The Cards were not ready for it and they would only score five points the rest of the way. Khloey Sperry got loose in transition to cut it to 32-29 at the end of three.
Payton Houk hit from the wing and Sari Rogers added a free throw as Mercer rebuilt it to 35-29 to start the fourth, but the foul trouble began to take its toll on Mercer as Lily Stark and Sari Rogers each picked up their fourth foul. Khloey Sperry finally started finding daylight in the post and hit two free throws, and then Sperry got another one in the post and took on three red shits, cashing in at the free throw line to cut it to 35-33. Houk countered with a free throw to make it 36-33 with 3:05 left, but Alli Burke hit a guarded three to tie it up at 36. Gilman City got a stop, one of the Mercer players fell down, and Sperry got loose in transition to break the tie at 38-36.
Lily Stark missed from the wing, but Hailey McClure missed a baseline shot and Khloey Sperry fouled scrambling for the rebound, and Payton Houk made one of two to cut it to 38-37. But Khloey Sperry hit two free throws at the other end to make it 40-37.
Hailey McClure fouled out and Mercer had a chance to cut it to one, but missed both tries, and Gilman City got the ball back. Khloey Sperry missed a shot in the high post, but grabbed her own rebound and put it back to make it two possessions at 42-37.
Kylie Holt missed a runner in the paint, and Khloey Sperry was fouled and hit two more free throws to make it 44-37 and a three possession game with 55 seconds left. Gilman City played full court denial, and Tenley Griffith stole the ensuing pass and Avery Gregg hit two free throws with 28 seconds left to make it 46-37 and provide the dagger.
Khloey Sperry had 26 points for the game. Alli Burke had 12, Avery Gregg 6, and Hailey McClure 2.
Alli Burke and Khloey Sperry had 1 block.
Hailey McClure had 9 boards. Alli Burke had 8, Khloey Sperry 7, Tenley Griffith 5, Avery Gregg 3, and Paisley Taggart 2.
Avery Gregg had 7 assists. Khloey Sperry had 3, Hailey McClure 2, and Alli Burke 1.
Avery Gregg had 5 tips. Khloey Sperry had 4, Hailey McClure 3, Alli Burke 2, and Paisley Taggart 1.
Hailey McClure and Avery Gregg had 3 steals. Tenley Griffith, Paisley Taggart, and Khloey Sperry had 1.
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