WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The HU women’s basketball team wrapped up 2022 with a 77-57 loss to #RV Midway (9-5) Friday afternoon at Platt Arena. The two teams have met just twice in program history, the first meeting last December, with the Eagles winning both times. With this loss, the Foresters drop to 6-9 on the season.

It was Huntington’s first game since mid-December, but Maggard and crew didn’t seem fazed by their two-week break as they bolted in front 8-0 within the first 90 seconds of play. Alli Vaughn scored on the opening tip after which Gabi Melby and Dazia Drake each dropped in a three. The hosts went on to take a ten-point lead of 12-2 midway through the first quarter before settling for a 19-13 tilt at the first break.

Midway, known for getting up and down the floor quickly and defending endline to endline, tapped into their strengths by way of a 12-0 run to start the second quarter to establish a 25-19 advantage for a lead that wouldn’t be shaken.

Emily Seboe finally snapped HU’s scoring drought with her second trifecta of the day to make it a one-possession ball game of 25-22 at the 6:13 mark. It was still a three-point difference of 31-28 with two minutes left in the first half before a six-point spread of 34-28 separated the two squads by halftime.

The Eagles scored first in the second frame after which HU, while they couldn’t make up any ground in the quarter, didn’t let their guests stray too far ahead. Celeste Ryman’s three in the corner to kick off the fourth pulled her team within six at 51-45 to cut it to just two possessions.

Each team’s leading scorer, Dezeree White and Melby, traded threes after that to keep things interesting but the wheels fell off for HU shortly after. The hosts managed just nine points the rest of the way to Midway’s 23 which included scoring 14 points in the final four minutes to make what was a close game, a lopsided affair by the final buzzer.

White topped all scorers with 28 points. Samaj Adams added 16 points to go along with seven boards and six steals while Mi’lan Miller came off the bench to toss in ten for the Eagles.

Melby led Huntington with 17 points. Seboe finished with 12, all from deep, while Konnor Gambrell rounded out HU’s double-digit scoring with ten points.

The Foresters’ accuracy beyond the arc was a bright spot as they connected on 9 of their 22 attempts for 40.9 percent which proved slightly higher than their overall field goal percentage. Unfortunately, turnovers plagued the Foresters, 25-11, as did too many fouls as evidenced to sending the Eagles to the charity stripe 26 times while only finding their way there 15 times.

HU jumps back into league play Wednesday when they host #7 IWU at 7:00 p.m.