Short-handed Patriot girls hold off Southport

Jan. 8—So many things went wrong for Terre Haute North in Conference Indiana girls high school basketball Saturday afternoon.

The Patriots were without Hallie Hayes — "Our top defender," coach Nathan Dillion said — with illness (and on her Senior Day), lost two other valuable players to personal fouls, finished the game with two junior varsity players on the court in an intense pressure situation and threw the ball away 19 times, eight times in the first quarter alone.

But teamwork and good shooting can cover up a lot of sins and the Patriots had both of those things, holding off Southport 57-53 in what Dillion called "probably our most complete game of the season.

"It was a lot closer than it probably should have been," added Dillion, whose team led 50-37 with less than four minutes to play, "but I'm so proud of these girls."

Even with Hayes missing the Patriots have seven other seniors, so Ruby Latorre and Gracie Smith joined regular starters Preslee Michael, Jetta Harmon and Lilly Jensen in the starting lineup and Mary Brooks and I'Asia Gaffney were the first players off the bench.

Smith buried a 3-pointer early and Becca Gore and Aubrey Ervin also hit 3s before the first quarter ended with North ahead 17-13 despite those nine turnovers. Gore hit three more from long range in the second quarter as North maintained its lead, although Michael picked up her third foul — an unfortunate call, to be charitable — in the final minute of the second quarter.

Michael's fourth foul came 26 seconds into the third quarter, so North's leading scorer was a cheerleader most of the rest of the game — "I probably won't have a voice tomorrow," she said later — but her teammates responded with an 8-0 run that opened the lead to 38-26. Gore, Ervin, Latorre and Harmon had baskets in that run with Latorre getting two assists, and after a Southport basket Harmon drove through the defense twice, first drawing a foul and hitting two free throws, then finishing a layup with her left hand (she's right-handed).

"I had a mismatch," Harmon said later. "I could take [my defender] to the rim."

Ervin picked up her third and fourth fouls while Southport was scoring the next nine points to get within 42-37, however, and got her fifth less than two minutes into the fourth quarter. By that time North was in the midst of an 8-0 run that built that 50-37 margin, but the Cardinals got four free throws and Michael picked up fifth foul on a rebound basket by Southport's Cece Mitchell.

Latorre hit a layup for North, but Southport got the next eight points to get within 52-51. Sophomore Emma Martin scored on a feed from Latorre, but Mitchell scored with another offensive rebound and it was 54-53 with 18 seconds left. But the Patriots in-bounded the ball successfully, Gore hit two free throws and sophomore Cyd'Nei Strader added the clincher.

"I was so proud of [my teammates]," Michael said, "especially Ruby. She's grown so much, one of the hardest workers I've ever met."

"We got some younger girls stepping up," added Harmon.

"The young girls stepped up, and the seniors stepped up," said Dillion.

Gore led the Patriots with 18 points, while Michael scored 12 — despite playing less than six minutes after intermission — and Harmon 10. Lela Scott had 21 points, six rebounds, five steals, three assists and two blocks and Mitchell had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Cardinals.

Good shooting? North hit 54% from the field, 55% from 3-point range. Teamwork? The Patriots had 16 assists on 21 baskets, with Harmon getting nine and Latorre five.

"I've always been a playmaker," Harmon said with a smile.

"That was quite a win for us," Dillion said. "I really think we're hitting our stride and gelling as a team, playing for each other."

SOUTHPORT (53) — McMasters 1-9 4-4 7, Scott 6-14 5-5 21, Mitchell 6-15 6-10 19, Cherry 0-0 0-0 0, Reed 0-5 0-0 0, Martinez 3-6 0-1 6, Nguyen 0-0 0-0 0, Linson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-49 FG, 15-20 FT, 53 TP.

TERRE HAUTE NORTH (57) — Michael 5-8 2-2 12, Harmon 4-6 2-6 10, Jensen 0-0 0-0 0, Latorre 2-5 2-2 6, Smith 1-1 0-0 3, Brooks 0-1 0-0 0, Gaffney 0-0 0-0 0, Gore 6-12 2-2 18, Ervin 2-5 0-0 5, Martin 1-1 0-0 2, Strader 0-0 1-4 1. Totals 21-39 FG, 9-16 FT, 57 TP.

Southport;13;12;12;16;—;53

Terre Haute North;17;13;14;13;—;57

3-point shooting — Southport 6-16 (Scott 4-7, Mitchell 1-2, McMasters 1-4, Reed 0-3), THN 6-11 (Gore 4-7, Smith 1-1, Ervin 1-2, Michael 0-1). Total fouls — Southport 18, THN 17. Fouled out — Ervin, Michael, McMasters. Turnovers — Southport 13, THN 19. Rebounds — Southport 28 (Mitchell 10), THN 35 (Gore 5, Ervin 5, Michael 4, Harmon 4, Jensen 2, Martin 2, Strader 2, Latorre, Smith, Team 9). Assists — Southport 10 (Scott 3), THN 16 (Harmon 9, Latorre 5, Michael, Ervin). Steals — Southport 14 (Scott 5), THN 6 (Harmon 2, Gore 2, Michael, Jensen). Blocks — Southport 4 (Scott 2), THN 4 (Jensen 2, Harmon, Latorre).

JV — Terre Haute North 37 (Charlie Walker 16), Southport 22 (Da'Niya Hamilton 6).

Next — Terre Haute North (9-11, 1-2 Conference Indiana) plays Tuesday at Marshall. Southport (8-8, 2-3) plays at Whiteland on Thursday.