GRANGER TWP. — Two games, 32 minutes apiece.
They are what separate the Highland girls basketball team from history.
Highland’s Sam Catron puts up a shot during the first half against Tallmadge. AARON JOSEFCZYK/GAZETTE
Getting a mistake-filled but incredibly resilient performance from their undersized, Marlee Profitt-less eight-player rotation Saturday, the Hornets used second-half scoring brilliance from Emily Lyon and clutch free throws by Sam Catron to defeat Tallmadge 40-38.
Highland (16-3, 9-1) moved into a tie with Revere (11-8, 9-1) atop the Suburban League American Division. SL games against Barberton (9-9, 4-6) and Roosevelt remain (6-12, 2-8), and the Hornets will clinch their first title since 1980 if they win both.
“I can’t even describe it,” said Catron, who had a game-high 14 points. “(A league title) is right within our grasps. We know we’ve got it. We just have such determination to go forward. We’re putting everything out there, doing everything we can to do good for our school and our community.”
On the verge of getting early separation from the third-place Blue Devils (13-5, 6-4), Highland hit a wall and couldn’t make a shot. In the middle quarters, the Hornets’ arms-flying-everywhere press forced 19 turnovers and Tallmadge leading scorer Brin Stralka (11.6 ppg) exited with a knee injury, but Highland was outscored 14-13 after shooting 5-for-25 from the floor and 3-for-10 at the free throw line.
Still, the strong start was enough for a 28-23 lead after three quarters.
“The Emily Lyon Show” temporarily changed everything.
A long-armed perimeter player who can play three positions, the sophomore entered play averaging 3.8 points but scored Highland’s final four points of the third quarter.
She began the fourth by grabbing her own missed free throw and scoring on the left block, corralling a Veronica Peterlin missed 3-pointer and making two free throws and finally banking in a drive to the hole.
That gave Lyon 10 straight Hornets points, a career-high 11 overall and her team a 34-28 advantage with 5:20 left.
“Once I start, I just kept keep getting more hyped up and more energetic, so I kept pushing to the best of my ability,” Lyon said. “The other games I didn’t attack the rim that much, but I think it’s from last year, when I did it a lot (on the junior varsity). It felt good to do it again.”
Despite Lyon’s brilliance, Highland was up just 37-35 with 30.2 seconds to go when Tallmadge’s Jamie McGhee (9 points, 7 rebounds) got fouled on a successful putback but missed the free throw.
Catron stepped up, making both ends of a one-and-one with 26.6 seconds left. The Blue Devils’ Ally Warmenhoven missed the front end of a one-and-one 13 ticks later, and Catron sealed the game by splitting free throws at the 10.1 mark.
Tallmadge’s Rochelle Haught (team-high 12 points) then hit an uncontested 3-pointer at the buzzer, but that did little to dampen the emotional highs of senior day.
“Determination, teamwork and just great coaching,” Catron said. “We have a great coaching staff, and on top of it being senior night, it’s good motivation for us to come out strong.”
Notes
- Tallmadge coach Collin Epstein agreed to a ceremonial opening tip-off for Profitt, who had ACL reconstruction surgery two weeks ago. Kathleen Kirchner took the uncontested jump, and Catron got the ball before dribbling and handing to Profitt, who officially started and stood in front of the scorer’s table on crutches. Profitt then took two dribbles and the referee stopped the game, leading to Profitt getting a hug from awaiting sub and best friend Madison Less.
- The Hornets’ transition offense was limited, but 5-foot-3 Veronica Peterlin blocked the 6-1 Stralka at the rim, which led to Catron firing a softball-style heave to Less for a layup in the waning seconds of the first half. Catron rocketed another dart to Alli Esker with less than 30 seconds to go in the third, and Esker and Less used precision passing to find Lyon for a wide-open layup.
“They were pretty long, but that’s my favorite pass to throw,” said Catron, a Hillsdale (Mich.) softball recruit. “I always want to run that play because I love throwing it long.” - Freshman Hannah Zuro made 19-of-22 free throws en route to 27 points as Highland’s junior varsity won 54-47.
Highland 40, Tallmadge 38
TALLMADGE 9 8 6 15 — 38
HIGHLAND 15 5 8 12 — 40
Tallmadge — Brin Stralka 2-0-4, Rochelle Haught 5-1-12, Jamie McGhee 3-3-9, Olivia Ayres 3-0-7, Sara Johnson 3-0-6, Ally Warmenhoven 0-0-0, Jessica Gardella 0-0-0. TOTALS: 16-4-38.
Highland — Kathleen Kirchner 1-0-2, Alli Esker 1-1-3, Marlee Profitt 0-0-0, Lauren Zuro 0-0-0, Sam Catron 4-4-14, Madison Less 2-0-4, Veronica Peterlin 2-1-6, Emily Lyon 4-3-11, Alaina Monroe 0-0-0. TOTALS: 14-9-40.
3-point goals — Ayres, Haught, Catron 2, Peterlin. Rebounds — Tallmadge 29 (McGhee 7), Highland 24 (Catron 8). Assists — Tallmadge 6 (Haught, Johnson, Stralka, Ayres, Warmenhoven, McGhee), Highland 8 (Kirchner, Peterlin, Zuro 2). Records — Tallmadge (13-5, 6-4), Highland (16-3, 9-1). Junior varsity — Highland 54, Tallmadge 47.