Lady Pirates advanced to fourth-straight state final
Published 6:48 am Tuesday, March 1, 2022
- Hornbeck senior Hannah Dahlhoff (5) drives past Hicks' sophomore Reese Stephens during the third quarter of the Lady Pirates' win over the Lady Hornets in the Class C semifinals in Hammond on Monday, 82-58. Dahlhoff pitched in 35 points, while Stephens led Hicks with 24 points. (Daniel Green / BWS Sports)
By Daniel Green | BWS Sports
HAMMOND — The quest for a fourth state title is still alive for the Hicks Lady Pirates.
Behind stellar play from Reese Stephens and Shyanne Phillips, the top-ranked Lady Pirates raced out to a 20-point halftime lead and never looked back as they downed the No. 5 Hornbeck Lady Hornets in the Class C semifinals at the University Center in Hammond, 82-58.
With the victory, the Lady Pirates (33-5) advanced to their fourth straight championship final, where they will face No. 2 Gibsland-Coleman at 1 p.m. Friday in the Class C finals.
Hicks head coach Mike Charrier was very proud of the effort of his team, especially sophomores Stephens and Phillips.
“I thought Reese handled the pressure very well and Shyanne did a great job scoring and rebounding,” Charrier said. “Our sophomores have been groomed for games like this and their experience showed.”
While senior Avery Coffman was saddled with foul trouble and senior Lauren Quinn seemed unable to get things going, it was Stephens and Phillips to get the job done. Stephens scored 14 of her 24 points in the first half, while Phillips had nine points and seven boards in the opening 16 minutes.
Early on, the Lady Hornets (21-12) kept pace with Hicks as senior Hannah Dahlhoff scored nine of Hornbeck’s 11 points in the first period as they trailed the Lady Pirates, 17-11.
But in the second period, the Lady Pirates went on a 23-9 surge to move out to a 40-20 advantage at the half.
It was more of the same in the third quarter as Maci Charrier knocked down a pair of three-pointers, while Quinn and Coffman began to find the range as the Lady Pirates took a 60-36 lead into the final frame.
The Hicks’ lead grew to over 30 points during the frame as the Lady Pirates coasted to the win.
Stephens led four Hicks players in double figures with 24 points, while Phillips finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Quinn added 13 points, while Charrier notched 12 points.
Dahlhoff paced Hornbeck with 35 points and eight rebounds, while Kayleigh Park finished with nine points and 13 rebounds.
