SALTHAWK GIRLS SHAKE OFF EARLY STRUGGLES

It was the Hutchinson High girls’ first game of the season Tuesday. And boy, it sure looked like it at times. The Salthawks struggled holding on to the ball, and they missed some high-percentage shots, but they steadied in the second half and pulled away for a 37-23 win against Arkansas City at the Salthawk Activity Center. “It was the first game,” Hutchinson coach Casey Stiggins said with a wry smile. “You could definitely tell it was the first game. We had some good looks in the first half that we didn’t make, and we had some silly turnovers, but we cut back on those.” The Salthawks’ offense may have had an up-and-down game – the 19 turnovers were particularly troublesome – but the defense was in midseason form. They held Arkansas City to just seven made field goals, and Arkansas City didn’t crack 20 points until the final four minutes of the game. “We usually practice defense a lot,” junior forward Kasey Hazell said. “We’re not always the tallest team or fastest team, but it’s what wins us games. If we don’t shoot it well, we’ll still defend well.” Hutchinson never trailed but struggled putting much distance between it and Arkansas City. The lead was just seven in the final seconds of the third quarter when senior Brooke Ackley sank a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. That stretched the lead to 10, and the Bulldogs didn’t get closer than seven points the rest of the game. It was during the final minutes where the Salthawks really showed glimpses of the team they could be later on. They attacked Arkansas City’s full-court defense with confidence, made a couple of high-percentage shots and knocked in free throws. “I see us competing with top teams,” Hazell said about what the Salthawks could look like later in the season. “We’ll have more of an understanding of each other by then. We need to cut down turnovers and defensive mistakes in order to be where we want to be.” THE QUICK HIT HUTCHINSON 37, ARKANSAS CITY 23 KEY STAT: Hutchinson had seven different players score, including four bench players. THE TURNING POINT: Hutchinson was in control but hadn’t put any distance in between it and Arkansas City. Leading 22-15 late third quarter, Brooke Ackley missed a 3-point shot. Madyson Regier got the rebound, found Ackley again, who this time swished a buzzer-beating 3. PLAYER OF THE GAME: She admittedly missed some shots she normally makes, but Hutchinson junior Kasey Hazell was dominant at times, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds. HE SAID IT: “We didn’t show it, but we do have shooters on this team. I have confidence that three or four girls can make perimeter shots every night. We’ll be 8-10 deep, depending on what happens night to night.” – Hutchinson coach Casey Stiggins. UP NEXT: Arkansas City (0-2) will play Friday at Maize South, while Hutchinson (1-0) plays Friday at Salina Central.

SALTHAWK GIRLS SHAKE OFF EARLY STRUGGLES

Photo Credit: Lindsey Bauman