By ANDREW FEEBACK
Much like the previous game, a late rally and tight finish did not go the way of the Norwell Knights as they fell to the visiting No. 8 Homestead Spartans, 56-52 Tuesday evening.
After trailing by 11 in the first half, the Knights (2-2) tied the game on five occasions in the second half but never managed to get in front.
The three-point shooting of Homestead’s Whitney Ankenbruck and Gabby Helsom allowed the Spartans (3-0) to take a double-digit lead in the second quarter after the teams went back and forth during the first frame.
“We didn’t execute some things defensively that really hurt,” coach Eric Thornton said. “They set so many screens, and playing man-to-man defense, there were a couple times we didn’t communicate and we got stuck on it. They’d pop out on it for an open shot. Our kids responded well after the timeout, and I like how we got it back down to seven before the half.”
Norwell switched to a 1-3-1 defense in the second half, which seemed to make Homestead a lot less comfortable running its offense.
“I think for us, it was just trying to make them play a different way,” Thornton said. “We wanted to change it up just so they couldn’t settle into a rhythm. I liked the way we came out in the third quarter, and it was tight from that point on.”
The Knights scored the first seven points of the second half to pull even. The Spartans countered with two more triples from Helsom and Liv Fry to reclaim a 41-35 advantage.
Makenzie Fuess and Dekota Hubble’s baskets to begin the fourth quarter tied the game at 45.
Annabelle Johnson’s three-pointer answered a trey from Ankenbruck to tie at 48.
The teams traded baskets again, with another one from Fuess tying the score at 52 with just under two minutes to play.
Helsom’s three-point attempt in front of her team’s bench bounced on the rim, hit the back of the rim, and dropped in to put the visitors up 55-52 at the 1:30 mark.
Norwell got an open look from the corner, but it wouldn’t go down.
With 29 seconds left, the Knights sent Helsom to the line. She missed her first shot but made the second.
A lot of time elapsed before the Knights got a shot off, and it was off the mark as the final seconds ticked away.
Kennedy Fuelling led Norwell with 19 points while Hubble added 13.
For the Spartans, Myah Epps had 19 and Helsom scored 17.
Norwell capped off a four-game stretch with a split against 4A teams that have all appeared in the IBCA poll, which ranks the top 20 teams throughout the state.
Homestead was eighth in this week’s poll, and Northridge was tied for 19th.
“Every team we’ve played against so far was either ranked in the top 20 when we played them or are currently ranked,” Thornton said. “I don’t know of one team in the state, regardless of class, that has played as tough a schedule as we have. We’re five points away from being 4-0 against that level of competition. Right now, compared to last year, our kids have grown. They’ve had to stretch as a team, they’ve had to fight harder. This team is trying to win a state championship, and this is what we have to go through in order to do that. I love the way our kids are responding right now.”
Norwell will travel to Fort Wayne Blackhawk on Friday night.
The Knights took the JV game 36-22. Haley Williamson scored 11 points, Jada Dale had 10 and Macie Saalfrank added nine.
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HOMESTEAD 56,
NORWELL 52
At Norwell
HOMESTEAD (3-0): Selin Oezcan 0-0 2-2 2, Emma Reust 0-0 0-0 0, Myah Epps 8-18 2-2 19, Liv Fry 1-3 1-2 4, Carley Moellering 1-4 1-2 3, Kendall McLaughlin 1-2 0-0 2, Gabby Helsom 6-14 1-2 17, Whitney Ankenbruck 3-8 0-0 9, Delaney Seitz 0-0 0-0 0, Eva Scarbeary 0-0 0-0 0, Clare Burda 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 20-50 7-10 56.
NORWELL (2-2): Addison Norris 0-0 0-0 0, Dekota Hubble 6-6 1-2 13, Kennedy Fuelling 6-20 4-5 19, Ryland Graft 0-0 0-0 0, Haley Green 0-0 0-0 0, Lillian Norris 0-2 0-0 0, Annabelle Johnson 3-9 0-0 7, Makenzie Fuess 3-11 0-0 6, Ali Riley 0-0 0-0 0, Vanessa Rosswurm 3-9 1-2 7, Jada Dale 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 21-57 6-9 52.
Homestead 15 18 12 11 — 56
Norwell 10 16 15 11 — 52
Three-point Goals: Homestead 9-27 (Helsom 4-10, Ankenbruck 3-7, Fry 1-2, Epps 1-5, Moellering 0-3), Norwell 4-19 (Fuelling 3-7, Johnson 1-5, Fuess 0-4, Rosswurm 0-2, Lillian Norris 0-1). Rebounds: Homestead 36 (Helsom 11, Fry 9, Epps 7, Moellering 4, Oezcan 2, McLaughlin 2, Ankenbruck 1), Norwell 22 (Hubble 7, Johnson 4, Rosswurm 4, Fuess 2, Fuelling 2, Lillian Norris 1, Addison Norris 1, Green 1). Turnovers: Homestead 17, Norwell 7. Fouls: Homestead 11, Norwell 17. Fouled out: None. Technicals: None.
JV: Norwell 36, Homestead 22.
