Bouncing back from 4-AAA home loss, Hardin Valley girls win big
After watching her team drop a District 4-AAA heartbreaker at home early last week, Hardin Valley Academy girls basketball head coach Jennifer Galloway knew the Lady Hawks would have to bounce back.
Hardin Valley rebounded to close out the week with a pair of key wins. The Lady Hawks notched a key 61-38 road district win over West High School Friday night, Jan. 20.
Hardin Valley, which came up on the short end of a 48-46 decision against Heritage at home Tuesday, Jan. 17, got back into the win column with a 52-36 non-district victory over Morristown East 48 hours later.
“We lost to Heritage by two in overtime but we bounced back and we got a big non-district win and then we were able to get a big district win on the road,” Galloway said after the victory over the Lady Rebels. “A district win on the road is always big.”
The Lady Hawks (15-5 overall, 7-2 in district starting the week) jumped ahead of West early. HVA, which was in command from the outset, opened a 17-8 lead by first quarter’s end. The Lady Hawks would continue to expand their advantage, up 34-18 by halftime.
The game’s outcome was never in doubt as the Lady Hawks got 20 points from senior center Symphony Buxton. She led the way as Hardin Valley again boasted a potent and balanced offensive attack.
Abbey Cornelius scored 18 points for the Lady Hawks while Autumn Fields added nine and buried three shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Paige Gentry finished with six points, all the result of long-range jumpers.
Hardin Valley hit seven shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Cornelius had a 3-pointer as did Lizzie Davis, who had five points.
“We’re happy to be where we are but we know that we still have to take care of some business, both at home and on the road,” Galloway said. “We’ve had some different players step up and that’s good for us. It’s good because it makes it tougher and more difficult for teams to prepare for us.”
Against the Lady Trojans Thursday, Jan. 19, Bekah Hampton scored 22 points and Cornelius had 18.
