Call it foreshadowing. That’s about the only way to describe it. After all, the Hillcrest Lady Hornets needed something – anything – to go right after they were about to blow what had been a 13-point advantage.
And then along a cold-shooting Jordan Pryor, who knocked down a pair of 3-pointers right after halftime – and, after the first one, sighed and looked up to the heavens as if to say, “Thank goodness.”
“That went in and I was like, ‘This is going to be a good game,’” Pryor said, and she was certainly on point.
Pryor’s two 3-pointers kick-started a huge second half for Hillcrest, which rode Kaycee Gerald’s game-high 28 points to a 71-57 victory against the West Plains Lady Zizzers in a Class 4 District 11 semifinal on Tuesday night at Rogersville High School.
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Gerald hit the tie-breaking bucket in between Pryor’s 3-pointers as Hillcrest built a 15-4 run and opened an 11-point advantage on a night when the Lady Hornets exacted revenge for a 16-point loss to West Plains on Feb. 15.
It also sent Hillcrest (15-11) to the district championship, set for 6 p.m. Friday, and allowed the Hornets to continue a challenging season one year after the program reached a Class 4 Final Four.
“I’m very proud of our girls for their effort, not just physically but mentally,” Hillcrest coach Jeni Hopkins said. “That’s what West Plains does. They wear you down. They play hard. They get after it. They do a great job. I’m just so proud of our poise.”
West Plains was in trouble midway through the opening half as the Hornets built a 20-7 advantage. But the Lady Zizzers closed to 29-27 by halftime, with Payton Richards hitting a contested, 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer.
That was the third bucket by Richards in the final 3 minutes of the second quarter, and the Lady Zizzers also got buckets from Kendra Davidson and reserve Caitlin Jones in that stretch.
Naturally, it wasn’t an upbeat halftime locker room for Hillcrest.
“We were super frustrated,” Gerald said. “We just broke down in the second quarter.”
It was an entirely different scene in the locker room after the game. Hopkins doused players with water in celebration, and players joined in.
Gerald had a lot to do with it. As point guard, she proved a calming presence. Some 21 of her points came after halftime, most at the free-throw line – she was perfect 13-for-13 – by driving the lane and controlling tempo.
In fact, her three-point play on a runner and free throw boosted Hillcrest’s advantage to 61-51 with 1:39 left, effectively sealing the win. Hillcrest had boosted its lead to 11 in the third quarter but never let it slip below seven points.
Said Gerald, “That’s what I try to do (play steady). I had to calm it down so that they don’t rush their shots.”
Pryor finished with 10 points, while Laurena Jarman contributed 11 points. Post player Whitney Williams, and Jasmyn Johnson combined for 12 points for Hillcrest.
West Plains ended its season at 17-10. Richards finished with 18 points, but was limited to only two second-half buckets.
Now it’s on to Friday for Hillcrest.
“This is a big win for us,” Hopkins said. “That’s a very good team. They’re well-coached. They play hard. They always have a great game plan. For us to execute our game plan, it’s just very, very exciting.”
