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Montrose
- Last week at
the District
Semi-Final in
Carrollton, with
Nouvel CC taking on
Valley Lutheran, the
Panthers suffered
their biggest blow
on their quest for a
three-peat.
Sr. Center Kelsey
Palmer went down
with a knee injury
that appeared to be
near the location of
last year's injury.
She came back to
play in the 2nd half
but as it seems,
that was her swan
song. Often
with injuries like
that, you can play
right away before
the damage sets in
later on. So
when I walked into
the Montrose gym to
see Kelsey on
crutches, I knew
that Nouvel was down
to Hamady before the
game even tipped
off. It was
going to take a
lion's effort
regardless, losing
the center of your
half-court offense
did not help and it
was taking advantage
of to perfection by
the Lady Hawks.
Throughout the year,
Hamady had been on a
mission to dispatch
of the competition,
win the GAC title
and then get to this
point, a point where
they could avenge 2
eliminations over
the past two years.
You could just see
it in their eyes,
they were ready,
they were
determined, this is
what they had been
waiting 1 year for.
From the get go,
Hamady exuded their
pressure, their
inside dominance and
their will onto the
Panthers. It
was fitting that
India Hairston and
Jasmine Thomas
scored the first two
buckets because it
would be their show
tonight. Jenny
Ryan answered with a
3 point play to cut
the lead to 1 at
4-3, which Nouvel
fans were hoping was
a sign that |
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the game would
eventually resemble
the wins of the
previous two years.
Unfortunately for
the Panther
faithful, it wasn't.
It was only a sign
that although, the
Hawks would end up
winning just about
every battle, they
still would not be
able to stop the
floor general with
two rings to show
for it. The
Lady Hawks closed
out the quarter on a
16-4 run, dominating
the boards on both
sides and getting
penetration at will.
Hamady was
smothering Nouvel on
defense and on
offense, the
Hairston and Thomas
dynamic duo were a
force to be reckoned
with. Thomas
was in the zone and
knows when to shoot
and when to pass,
she is a true team
player with
unselfish
tendencies.
Hairston and Thomas
combined for 14 of
the Hawk's 20 1Q
points.
Hamady did more
damage in the 2nd
quarter, pushing the
lead as high as 21
before ending the
half up 19 at 31-12.
Nouvel was held to
just 5 points, all
by Ryan. They
were held completely
scoreless for nearly
the first 6 minutes
of the 2nd quarter.
Hairston scored 6 of
the Hawks' 11 points
in the quarter.
Heading into the
break, the Lady
Panthers were going
to need a minor
miracle to pull the
game out with the
play and Big Mo all
of the side of
Hamady.
The third quarter
was by far the best
for the Panthers as
they went blow for
blow with Hamady but
that was the
problem, they both
scored 10 points in
the quarter but
needed to make 19
up. Hamady was
perfectly content
with trading baskets
and killing the
clock. It was
a big variety in the
third quarter as
well, with both
teams having 4
different players
tally points.
When the third
quarter ended, the
Panthers were still
down 19. It
must have felt like
they had been
running a 10 Mile
Marathon, thinking
that they knocked
off a good portion,
maybe halfway
through, only to
look at the marker
and see that they
were still on the
first mile.
With 8 minutes to
play, the season and
Dynasty was drawing
to a close for
Nouvel.
The fourth quarter
and the game would
eventually be
handled easily by
Hamady but not
before the Lady
Panthers gave their
fans something to
cheer about.
JR scored 7 of her
17 in the final
quarter and with
5:53 to go and a
three point play by
Ryan, the Panthers
had cut it to 14 at
43-29. That's
where Hamady took
Nouvel's biggest
punch before
swinging back and
finishing out the
game on a 14-4 run.
The clock could not
run any faster for
Hamady but as the
outcome was no
longer in doubt,
they enjoyed every
last second of it,
knowing that they
had removed the
weight of the world
off of their back.
As the Hawks were
overjoyed with
emotion, the
Panthers would soon
be overcome with it.
With about 2 minutes
to play, Nouvel's
Head Coach, Kris
Hengesbach signaled
over to her bench to
bring in the
replacements and get
Ryan out of the game
to get her much
deserved 'last call'
while in a Nouvel
uniform. The
Panther players and
coaches embraced
each other, for
Seniors Ryan, Mary
Dijak, Ashley Albito,
Kelsey Palmer and
Meredith Dwyer, it
had been 1 heck of a
ride, 1 that they
will never forget,
stories and
experiences that
they can share for
generations.
On the other side,
as the clock ran
out, Hamady had done
it. I have
only covered girl's
basketball for a few
years now but that
was the best effort
and execution that I
had ever seen out of
the Hawks.
They knew what had
to be done, they
knew where the holes
were and they
capitalized on them
over and over again.
When it was all said
and done, India
Hairston finished
with a game high 20
points, Thomas, the
future Michigan
State Spartan with
15, Arlesia Morse
with 10 and Kathryn
Thomas with 8.
Ryan led Nouvel with
17, while her
teammates Albito and
Sophomore Jessi
Franz combined for
10.
The road now goes
through Hamady, they
are the favorites to
bring home the
hardware and they
have the tools, edge
and determination to
do it. They
are all about
match-ups and with
Palmer being out
tonight, they were
able to shut just
about everything
down except for the
mid to long range
jump shots. If
the Panthers were to
win, they would have
had to do it near
the perimeter and
that's not Nouvel's
game. During
the regular season,
Hamady had trouble
with the likes of
New Lothrop, their
#1 rival in hoops
because NL plays the
perimeter game and
have 3 point sharp
shooters. Even
so, Hamady overcame
that and conquered
everything that came
across their path
this year, leading
to the 24-0 record
to date. They
will face many more
challenges
throughout the
remainder of the
tourney. 4
games are down but 4
more remain.
Hamady will face
Sandusky on Thursday
for the regional
title. From
the way it looks,
the likes of
Morley-Stanwood,
Calvin Christian and
Co. still remain on
their side of the
Championship bracket
but their hardest
challenge may come
in the Finals if
they are to make it
that far.
Then, it would be
the likes of
Houghton, Napoleon,
etc. It's not
going to be easy but
Championships are
much more fulfilling
when they have
beaten the best to
get there, so far
the Hawks have done
just that.
On a final Jenny
Ryan note, she will
be heading to
Michigan next fall
on a full ride, most
will remember her as
one of the better
players to play the
game, her two state
titles and countless
games where she just
took over but 1
image that will sit
with me for a while
happened last night.
Her Nouvel career
had just ended, the
last game in her
Panther Blues, it
must have been a
tough pill to
swallow. After
she exchanged hugs
with her team,
congratulated the
players and coaches
from Hamady, she
walked back to the
other side of the
court, looked over
to her fellow
Panthers in the
student section,
waved, pumped her
fist and put on the
biggest smile I had
ever seen from her.
That's how I'll
remember Jenny Ryan,
somebody that took
the wins and the
losses and took them
in stride, took them
in stride and
finished with class. |
