NEW CASTLE — Pendleton Heights was held without a field goal for an 11-minute, 52-second stretch in the second half of Tuesday’s season opener at New Castle.
That stretch proved just too long, as the host Trojans overcame an 11-point deficit to rally for a 48-44 victory over the Arabians at New Castle Fieldhouse.
“This is a big rivalry, and we knew this would be a really tough opening night for us,” Pendleton Heights coach Shari Doud said. “We had some good moments, but it showed that we’re not very polished.”
It also didn’t help matters much for the Arabians (0-1) that New Castle (1-0) game planned to take Wright State recruit Mur Hagerman out of the offense. The Pendleton senior did get to the foul line effectively, knocking down five of her six attempts, but was held to just seven points.
“They did a great job of knowing where she was all night,” Doud said.
After a feeling-out process that saw the Trojans take a 14-12 advantage after one quarter, Pendleton mixed in some pressing defense to throw New Castle off balance. And that defense helped fuel the offense, particularly from long range.
Finding the Trojans out of sync on both ends of the floor, the Arabians would take advantage to pull ahead entering halftime. Kelsey Hubble knocked down a 3-pointer, then sister Jamie drained two more triples as part of an 11-0 run that lifted Pendleton to a 24-16 halftime lead.
In all, New Castle was held without a point for an 8:04 stretch, as Kaycee Dobbs finally scored off an assist from Courtney Baker to cut the Pendleton lead to eight. Jamie Hubble would follow with her third 3-point basket of the night to give the Arabians a 29-18 advantage, but New Castle coach Curt Bell explained that Dobbs’ bucket ignited a spark in his squad.
“They created a lot of problems in the second quarter, and we didn’t get into an offensive rhythm,” Bell said. “I’m proud of my kids. They regrouped and were resilient, and they were able to chip away (at the lead).”
Dobbs continued to shine in the third quarter, scoring nine consecutive points on her way to a team-high 15. After rallying the Trojans to within 29-27 on her second 3-pointer of the frame, Baker followed suit with a triple of her own to give the hosts a lead they would not relinquish.
New Castle would extend its lead to as many as nine points before Pendleton rallied late, benefitting from the Arabians’ icy stretch on the offensive end. Pendleton cut the lead to two on a pair of occasions but could never get back over the hump.
“We have to start working on some areas of weakness,” Doud said. “We’ll be OK, we’re just a little unpolished right now.”
Hannah Douglas paced Pendleton Heights with 15 points and four steals.
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