HYDE — This season has felt a lot different for the Clearfield Lady Bison. New coaching staff, new uniforms, and a new way to play have led to some struggles, but also have shown how much they can adapt and learn. Wednesday night, a pair of players who have been committed to the program through some of the most trying times, from coaching changes to difficult seasons, and even a pandemic, got the chance to be honored prior to tip off. But, once the pageantry of Senior Night wore off, along with the newly revamped introductions, it was time for a Mountain League battle against the Lady Eagles of Bald Eagle Area.
Through eight minutes, it looked like Clearfield’s nerves were getting the better of them. For the next 24, those nerves vanished. With a student section clad in white, and one of the largest crowds they’ve had all season, the Lady Bison stormed back to take a tough, and exciting, 45-31 victory.
“I am not sure what was going on that first quarter. We did get some shots off, but also missed those easy layups. Maybe it was Senior Night jitters, being back on the home court, not sure,” Lady Bison head coach Missy Helsel said afterwards. “They got that knocked out of them real quick, and knew what they had to do tonight to play defense, rebound, for all four quarters in order to win.
“We did a nice job on both ends of the court. We saw Lauryn Kitchen step up on Senior Night, and guard BEA’s Maddie Perry exceptionally well. Alayna Winters did a great job on her as well, and then Emma Hipps shut down No. 24 (Abby Hoover), who got us really bad the first time.”
The players that pushed Clearfield hard in the first contest, as Helsel noted, got put in check early and often. But, the first quarter was not favorable as Bald Eagle quickly got out to an early lead, holding Clearfield to just 1-for-10 on the floor shooting in the first eight minutes.
The 11-4 gap after one had the home crowd feeling down. That soon changed.
For the entire second quarter, the Lady Bison were pushing Bald Eagle, and were winning the battle. Had it not been for a single free throw and field goal from the floor by Serb, the visitors would have finished scoreless. But the Lady Bison were taking it to the opposition, tying the game up with just over two minutes remaining in the half. Soon after, some key foul shots and a massive three-point shot via Hipps allowed Clearfield to gain the lead, one which they took into the locker room at 18-14.
Neither team could truly get away in the third quarter, but Clearfield still held a slight 26-21 advantage heading into the final frame. That is when things got a bit rough, especially after Taylor Habovick nailed a three from the left wing to bring the Lady Eagles within one possession.
But, as things got closer, the play began to get sloppy, with officials having to call fouls on both ends, which led to late opportunities at the foul line.
The biggest opportunity happened after a fast break from Hipps brought her right down the court and on a layup she would get caught on the arm. The ball, on the other hand, made its way into the net, igniting the senior center and her teammates with a plus-one opportunity. She would miss the ensuing shot, but battled right back to gain her own rebound and put the ball back in the net, getting the home crowd lit up.
Hipps finished her night with a game-high 18 points, along with seven rebounds and five steals.
The fourth quarter also saw some of the younger classes make major contributions, no bigger than Cayleigh Walker, who got back-to-back opportunities at the foul line after making her short jumper on the left side of the paint. She would contribute 15 points, five of them coming in the final frame.
Helsel mentioned about all three of the plus-one opportunities, stating, “They (the girls) feed off that momentum. This was an all-around great effort, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
For Bald Eagle, only Serb managed to get into double figures, finishing with 10 points. But, she would foul out late in the game on what some of the visiting parents felt was a questionable call on the sidelines. As she walked off following the substitution, she could be seen giving a snide look to the Lady Bison bench, but made her way to the sideline before officials would have called an additional foul for conduct. Bald Eagle had to force their hand in the final quarter, giving up 12 fouls, and seeing two of their starters, Serb and Katie Snyder, head to the bench after reaching five.
Although there are a few more home games slated for the Lady Bison this year, namely due to a couple postponements that need made up, this game felt special for Helsel, especially considering how both Hipps and Lauryn Kitchen, the lone two seniors on the squad, had endured so much during their time with the team. Both experienced having to go through a few rough seasons with losing records, then a season that was so cluttered due to pandemic restrictions. This year, having to learn new ways to play, Helsel could see the growth and leadership develop all year long.
“We are going to miss their presence, for sure. Lauryn, she knew exactly what her job was when I put her in to start to face 11 (Perry), and she did it really well. These kids, I don’t think played very much man-to-man defense before this year,” she said. “They have done an excellent job learning how to move in a man-on-man defense.
“That really helps build their team effort when they can play good defense.”
Sitting at 8-11, the remaining three games of the Lady Bison season all happen inside the Bison Gymnasium, beginning Thursday night when they go against Philipsburg-Osceola.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Bald Eagle 11 3 7 10 – 31
Clearfield 4 14 8 19 – 45
Bald Eagle Area – 31
Maddie Perry 3 3-3 9, Charlotte Lingle 0 0-0 0, Abby Hoover 2 0-2 4, Katie Snyder 0 0-0 0, Kierra Serb 3 4-8 10, Sybil Thompson 0 0-0 0, Olivia Boone 1 1-5 3, Taylor Habovick 1 0-0 3, Khloe Cunningham 0 0-0 0, Rachel Bryan 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 11 8-18 31.
Clearfield – 45
Emma Hipps 5 7-9 18, Lauryn Kitchen 0 1-2 1, Riley Ryen 2 5-6 9, Cayleigh Walker 5 5-10 15, Alayna Winters 1 0-0 2, Hannah Glunt 0 0-2 0. TOTALS 13 18-29 45.
GAME STATISTICS
Bald Eagle/Clearfield
Shooting: 11-44/13-55
Rebounds: 27/34
Fouls: 21/19
Turnovers: 25/23
Three-Point Shots: Habovick/Hipps
Foul Out: Snyder, Serb
