Deconstructing a 17-0 run
Lady Hawks go on a spree late in thrilling 47-37 win over Rosecrans
By Dave Mast
March 4, 2013
361
Usually when a team goes on a 17-0 scoring run, it involves a quarterback throwing a pigskin, a running back breaking off a long run and a kicker drilling one from 38 yards.
Well, Regina Hochstetler took care of the 38 yards at least.
Trailing 37-30 with 7:02 to play in their district title tilt with a formidable Zanesville Rosecrans team, the Lady Hawks took flight and left the Lady Bishops far behind, reeling off 17 unanswered points over the final seven minutes to earn a trip to Regionals with a 47-37 victory in the Div. IV New Philadelphia District match-up.
Oh sure, there were other exciting moments in the game other than the run. Like when Regina Hochstetler hit a huge three in the first quarter to give Hiland its first lead. Or when Regina Hochstetler hit a pair of free throws late in the first half to tie things up at 19. Or when Regina Hochstetler hit a huge three in the third quarter with the Lady Hawks trailing 31-24. Or when Regina Hochstetler hit about a 38-yard jumper as time expired, her laser hitting nothing but net as she launched her shot from just behind the corner of Uncle Primos in Dover.
Yes, it was more than just the Regina Hochstetler show, but lets get to the meat and potatoes of this one, a nifty little 17-0 run that left the Rosecrans fans speechless, head coach Gale Kirkbride wondering what he had to do to get a win over the Lady Hawks and the Lady Hawks driving to Massillon Perry next week.
The set-up:
With 7:02 left to play, Chloie Johnson hits a runner in the lane that spots Rosecrans to a 37-30 lead.
Sasha Goings, fresh off a concussion, penetrates, fires a perfect pass to Hochstetler, who does what she does best. 37-33.
A Maddie Chandler missed jumper.
Two the hard way. Jasmine Goings is fouled, misses both free throws, then rolls down the lane unblocked, grabs her second miss and lays it in. 37-35.
Kendra Schlabach pokes a ball off a Rosecrans player on the other end, right into the hands of Little Miss Everywhere, Regina Hochstetler.
With 4:06 to play, Hochstetler delivers a picture perfect 15-footer. 37-37
Rosecrans leading scorer Molly Nash pivots inside, missing wide left, Hochstetler boards.
3:06 to play. Emily Yoder, who isnt the smallest player on the floor thanks to teammate Jenica Schrock, gets loose inside among the trees. One gigantically awesome pump fake later, the Lady Hawks have a 39-37 lead.
Nash, in a bit of a panic move, forces up a wild shot that has not prayer, rebound Jasmine Goings.
Jasmine Goings pounds her way to the hole, gets fouled on the way, and converts both ends of a one-and-one. 41-37.
Johnson misfires badly on a long three attempt, rebound Yoder.
With Coach Dave Schlabach screaming for patience, Hiland does, and gets a really good look. Yoder pulls up in the lane and knocks down a 10-footer. 43-37.
15 seconds later Rosecrans tries to go inside, throwing the ball away for a turnover with 2:05 to play.
50 seconds. That is how long Hilands guard combo of Yoder, Schrock, Schlabach and Hochstetler, with a little help from Jasmine Goings, controls the clock until Rosecrans can foul Yoder. She calmly drains both ends of a one-and-one. 45-37.
Rosecrans throws it out of bounds again with one minute to play.
Hiland enjoyed the first ball-handling exhibition so much they do it again. This time Schrock is fouled. Just like Yoder, she drains both shots. 47-37.
Thats it, aside from some end-game stuff that didnt matter. A 17-0 run against a great basketball team like Rosecrans.
It shouldnt have happened, but there it was. 17-0.
A 17-0 run to finish, huh? asked Coach Schlabach incredulously after the game. We were finally able to wear them down. It just took forever. When we scouted them, we felt that we couldnt let the game get out of control. What I thought was unbelievable was that whenever the game felt like it was going to get out of hand, Regina hit a big three. It was unbelievable.
Perhaps nothing was more unbelievable than when Hochstetler hit about a 27 foot shot at the buzzer at the end of the third quarter that looked for all the world like she was shooting like she does from 12 feet.
I saw Jenica coming down with the ball, and I had absolutely no idea how far out from the bucket I was until I shot it, said Hochstetler of the shot. I had to use a little extra leg strength.
The amazing thing? Hochstetler thought she was going to make it.
While the blow-by-blow is one thing, the 17-0 run took several parts and pieces to happen.
I. Preparation
Coach Schlabachs staff is never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever under-prepared. They knew that Rosecrans had little depth, and felt they could win it in the end.
I told the kids coming out of the huddle to start the fourth quarter that I thought we could hold them scoreless, said Schlabach, nearly prophetically.
II. Defense
Sure, everyone will look at the run and be awed by the offensive prowess, but defense was the real key to the game. Not only did the Lady Hawks cause bad shots and force turnovers, but their relentless on-ball pressure made an already tired team even more fatigued.
That was fun, said Jasmine Goings of the game in general, but of the run in particular. I love banging people around anyway. But they are a great team, and we just tried to take away what they did best. Defensively we played so hard.
III. Some help
The Lady Bishops did the Lady Hawks a favor by getting conservative, and by not handling the stretch run pressure very well.
Its disappointing, said Kirkbride. We took command of the game, and I we had a seven point lead, and then we took some bad shots, had the wrong people taking shots and kind of went into panic mode. We picked the ball up a couple times when we shouldnt have, and we just threw it up a couple of times, and then it just all snowballed. Maybe we tried not to lose it in the end, and they went out and tried to win it.
IV: Belief and experience
Hiland has been in that position so many times, Schlabachs teams simply understand the game and how the ebbs and flows go. The ball-handling the whole game, and especially in the fourth quarter, was impeccable. Schlabach and Yoder were magicians with the ball, and that confidence paid off.
We never panicked, said Emily Yoder. We just kept believing in each other, believing wed find a way to win. It was an awesome atmosphere out here, and we are used to that.
V. Preparation, Part II
Twinsburg, Garaway twice, St. Vincent-St. Mary, Wadsworth, West Holmes, Wooster, Hilands mat-grinder schedule is designed to prepare the Lady Hawks for this exact kind of atmosphere and pressure situation.
I really think our schedule is paying off, said Schlabach. It has really helped us figure out how to play against big players, and with us taking care of the ball at the end of the game.
VI: Listening to Coach
Before the game, Schlabach told Hochstetler to not pick up any silly fouls in the first quarter. She earned her first within the games first second, fouling on the jump ball. From there she was nearly flawless, scoring 27 points, hauling in four boards and connecting on five 3-pointers.
The amazing thing with Gina is that she is doing this this year against peoples best defenders, said Schlabach. Last year she was a stand-and-shoot player. She has worked to become a complete player.
Hiland won the battle on the glass 34-19. They held Rosecrans to 15-of-41 shooting, including Nashs 2-of-10.The Lady Hawks made 12-of-15 free throws. They had just eight turnovers. Emily Yoder had nine points and played the point guard spot without a turnover. Schlabach was nearly as good, handling the ball a ton and having just one turnover. Jasmine Goings checked in with eight rebounds, but oddly enough her sister, Sasha, also hauled in eight to tie for the game-high. Sasha stands about 5-foot, 4-inches tall.
But the two biggest numbers on the night will be 17 and 0. It was a quarter which will inevitably go down as one of the finest in Lady Hawks history.
