Highland boys, girls basketball teams each have success in action-packed week
Three quarters of the way through the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 campaign, the Highland boys basketball team has won twice as many games as they did all of last season.
On Thursday, March 4, the Bulldogs kept the good times rolling. After being in a close game with Civic Memorial for three quarters, Highland pulled away in the fourth quarter and rolled to a 47-33 Mississippi Valley Conference home victory.
Highland improved to 4-5 overall and 4-3 in MVC play.
The Bulldogs held a 28-25 halftime lead despite sophomore point guard Cade Altadonna being on the bench with two fouls. In the second half, HHS went to work on defense and shut the Eagles offense down completely.
“We held them to three points in the second half until about the 4-minute mark of the fourth quarter,” Highland coach Deryl Cunningham said.
HHS extended its lead to 18 points with 2 minutes left and Cunningham cleared his bench. Joe Jansen scored a career-high 18 points to lead the Bulldogs. Jake Ottensmeier pumped in 16 points and Altadonna had 6 points.
On Tuesday, March 2, Cunningham slept really well thanks to the on-court work of his Bulldogs against MVC archrival Triad.
HHS, which lost two weeks ago to the Knights 57-45, turned the tables and pulled out an exciting 33-31 victory at Highland High School.
“Our guys are just learning how to close out games,” Cunningham said. “The difference this time is, the last time we played them, they played a 2-3 zone, and they trapped in the short corners. The difference (this time) is we pulled them out of it and I told the guys if we get the lead to be ready because I was going to pull them out of the zone and make them guard us man to man.”
Once the Bulldogs forced the Knights to guard then man to man with the ball, Highland ran its half court motion offense to near perfection and carried a 17-12 lead into halftime.
Highland finishes strong
The Bulldogs continued to hit shots into the fourth quarter and led by six to eight points until a pair of late 3-pointers by Triad closed the gap in the final two minutes.
Unlike the first time around, Highland buckled down and secured the win.
HHS only played six players, but Cunningham had plenty of praise for that group.
“The guys did a great job ... we only played six kids, and I thought that all of our kids did a really good job,” Cunnningham said.
Altadonna led Highland with 11 points. Jansen and Ottensmeier scored 9 points each.
Highland girls take down Nashville
The Highland girls ended the month of February on a roll thanks to a 46-37 road win at Nashville.
HHS started out the game slowly and trailed 19-17 at the half but got rolling after intermission as a 19-9 third-quarter run put the Lady Bulldogs ahead to stay.
Bella LaPorta paced HHS with 20 points. Lydia Hadowsky and Liv Wilke each had 6 points.
Alyssa Cole and Halle Reuter led Nashville with 19 and 10 points, respectively.
Lady Bulldogs fall to Edwardsville
Two days later on Monday, March 1, the Lady Bulldogs trekked north to take on perennial large school power Edwardsville in non-conference action.
The outcome did not go Highland’s way that night.
HHS had trouble hitting shots and fell behind 30-18 at the half and ultimately lost 56-43.
“We struggled from the field shooting,” Lady Bulldogs coach Clint Hamilton said. “It was an eight-to-10-point game most of the way. Their length and ability to disrupt our shots in the lane made it tough for us to score.”
Liv Wilke paced Highland with 17 points. LaPorta added 14 points.
HHS regroups to topple Triad
One night later on Tuesday, March 2, the Lady Bulldogs made a trip to MVC rival Triad, refocused and turned in a big-time performance.
Highland pressed and ran its way to a 32-11 halftime lead and rolled to a 53-19 victory.
“We were able to force turnovers early and made a few shots to get us going,” Hamilton said. “It was good bounce-back win.”
LaPorta led three players in double figures for HHS with 13 points while Grace Wilke scored 12 points and Abby Huelsmann added 10.
Civic Memorial defeats Highland
Highland visited MVC archrival Civic Memorial on Thursday, March 4, with a chance to grab a share of the conference lead with a win.
The Lady Bulldogs had momentum in the first half and were poised to change the script after falling 41-17 to CM at home Feb. 18.
CM senior guard Tori Standefer and the Eagles pressure defense would not allow that to happen.
Standefer hit a key 3-pointer to end the third quarter, and poured in a game-high 19 points as the Eagles press stopped the Bulldogs from rallying late in a 42-37 setback.
It was a tough finish for Highland, which lost senior guard Kirsten Taylor to a hyperextended knee on a loose ball with 5:22 left in the first quarter. She needed help getting off the floor and did not return to the game.
Injury impacts outcome as other players step up
“That was not the main reason we lost but that was a big part of it,” Hamilton said. “I thought, though, the girls did a great job stepping up when she was not in there. It was emotional with her being a senior and us having a chance to win this game and maybe win conference, but I thought the kids responded well.”
LaPorta and Taylor Kesner filled the void admirably with Taylor out. LaPorta, who scored just four points in the first CM game, exploded for 18 points. Kesner came up big as well with 11 points.
“I thought Taylor needed to get in double figures for us to have a chance, and I thought she played hard and she played well,” Hamilton said.
Highland led 20-13 late in the first half thanks to a LaPorta trey and a pair of foul shots. But a 7-0 run keyed by five points from Olivia Durbin helped the Eagles tie the score 20-20 at the intermission.
Momentum-changing shot
Then, just before the end of the third quarter, Standifer drained a running 3-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer that gave CM a 30-29 lead.
“That kind of gave them the momentum right there at the end of the third quarter,” Hamilton said.
LaPorta opened the fourth quarter with a bucket to put the Lady Bulldogs back in front. But Kelby Zupan drilled a 3-pointer with just under 7 minutes left and HHS never got closer the three points the rest of the way.
Highland dropped to 7-3 overall and 5-2 in MVC play.
This story was originally published March 5, 2021 at 10:00 AM.