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WAVERLY — Alexander got comfortable. Almost too comfortable.
And as the second continued to tick away, the Spartans got very uncomfortable as Huntington’s Allie Baker began to find her rhythm.
As Baker caught her flow, Brailee Hauswirth added to the mix and the duo combined to score 41 of Huntington’s 45 second half points.
However, the rally ultimately fell short.
After trailing by as many as 24 points, the Huntsmen kicked things into overdrive in the second half. But the hole they fell into was just a bit too deep to come out of as the Spartans fought off a furious rally to claim a 62-55 victory on Monday in a Division V district semifinal.
CREDIT: Sam Walsh/SOSA
“We started out the game really strong. We knew they were going to battle back at some point, considering they got one on us earlier this year,” Alexander coach Morgan Grinstead said. “We didn’t box out very well down the stretch and we didn’t stop [Baker] like we intended. But we did the necessary things to pull out a win in the end and that’s the main thing.”
The victory marks Alexander’s first appearance in a district final since 2019.
“We’ve won our last seven games, and it all started with that Athens victory,” Grinstead said. “Everyone has contributed in some way, shape or form and we’ve performed well in key moments by getting rebounds and knocking down free throws or big shots. Our momentum is going in the right direction and hopefully it continues that way.”
Alexander (17-7) couldn’t have asked for a better start.
Less than 90 seconds into the game, it had forced three turnovers and Kaylee Hudnall, McKenna Moore, Karah Allison and Kayden Bean had all scored for a quick 8-0 lead.
The Spartans pushed the lead to 12-0 before Huntington’s first basket of the game came from Leah McCloskey. But Moore, Hudnall and Lily Ryder combined for a 9-0 run to end the quarter for a lopsided 21-2 lead.
The Spartans weren’t finished piling on in the second as Hudnall and Bean helped them extend the lead to 28-4.
Huntington, however, managed to gain some traction and ended the half on a 6-2 run behind McCloskey and Araya Smith to cut into the deficit — 30-10 — at the break.
“Our defense was phenomenal in the first half and I thought our press really bothered them since we were getting some tips that led to layups on the other end,” Grinstead said. “It was easily the best start we’ve had to any game this season. We had some issues with being consistent out of the gates, so to start the way we did was a nice sight to see.”
That run to end the half gave the Huntsmen (18-6) a pulse. And then Baker turned into the team’s heartbeat.
PHOTOS: Images from Alexander’s win over Huntington
She scored her first points of the night, alongside buckets from McCloskey and Hauswirth, for an 8-1 run that trimmed Alexander’s advantage to 31-18. Baker proceeded to turn on the burners and shoot her team back into the game, scoring 11 of the next 13 points to bring them to within 41-31.
“Sometimes we come out a little flat in the second half, and make things closer than what they need to be,” Grinstead said. “We had some breakdowns, [Baker] was driving and getting downhill, which she wasn’t doing much of in the first half. There are times we look like cones on defense and don’t move very well. That wasn’t the case in the first half, but it was a huge problem in the second and we have to work on that.”
At one point, Huntington cut the lead to single digits before the Spartans built it back up. But Huntington had one final rally left.
After exchanging buckets, Hauswirth caught a hot hand and scored seven straight points that cut the deficit to 47-40. The avalanche continued behind Hauswirth and Baker as they applied pressure, getting to within 54-51 following a deep triple from Baker.
Hudnall answered with a pair of free throws and Huntington missed on the other end. That slowly started the beginning of the end as her and Ryder knocked down the final six shots from the stripe to aid the Spartans as they escaped with the win.
Hudnall finished the night with 17 points to lead the Spartans, followed by 12 points each from Ryder and Moore.
Baker ended with a game-high 30 points, all in the second half, for Huntington while Hauswirth added 15 points.
Alexander returns to action in a Division V district final at noon, Saturday at Waverly’s Downtown Gymnasium against top-seeded Portsmouth, who defeated Piketon to advance.
“We have to be strong with the ball and handle their press, especially towards the end of the game,” Grinstead said. “Portsmouth is a great team, very talented and we have our work cut out for us. But we’ll get back to it for the next couple of days, work on a few things and get ready to play our biggest game of the season.”
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