Hulbert girls basketball was outsized, but they weren’t outplayed by the Chelsea Lady Dragons in the District Championship.
Despite the Lady Dragons coming in with a height and physicality advantage, the Lady Riders jumped out to a lead and stretched it in the third quarter. This lead to a big 54-36 win and first district title since the 2022-’23 season for the Lady Riders at home, Friday, Feb. 20.
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“They battled, CHS is an athletic big team, we are smaller,” HHS head coach Joseph McClure said. “But we battled, we preach to our girls every day to be tough and to hustle; it’s what they know now and what we expect is for them to go to battle every game.”
The win continues an 11-game winning streak for the Lady Riders.
“It’s a lot of happiness for our players because they work their tail off. It is a proud moment for the coaches to just keep winning because it is so hard to do,” McClure said.”It’s always nice to win hardware; it is a confidence builder for the girls. It also ensures you get to keep playing, it’s a big deal.”
Already sitting with a lead in the third quarter, the Lady Riders put the Lady Dragons away when they returned to the court after halftime. With a 9-point lead going into the half, the Lady Riders stretched it out to 19 heading into the final frame.
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Senior Sadie Chambers picked up 7 of her 18 points in the quarter to help the Lady Riders stretch out the lead. Along with Chambers’ 7 points, Mya Henson also hit a 3-pointer and a paint bucket and Mia Cloud drained a 3-pointer.
“You can be more comfortable and slow it down if you have a bigger lead,” McClure said. “It’s more comfortable as a coaching staff and a team if you can stretch that out.”
To open the game, the Lady Riders opened on a hot start, putting up 8 straight points. Henson scored on a paint bucket and a 3-pointer and Chambers hit a paint 2 and a free throw before the Lady Dragons found their first points.
After the run to start the game, the Lady Dragons brought the fight and the teams battled back and forth. After the early run, the Lady Riders only outscored CHS 15-14 in the first half, but still held a 23-14 lead at halftime.
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“We always want to jump on teams early,” McClure said. “Getting out to that early lead is huge, gives yourself a cushion. Then you can go out and get a bigger lead.”
Chambers’ 18 points led the way, with Brooke Norton’s 15 and Mya Henson’s 11 rounding out the top scorers.
HHS will take on Okemah, Tuesday, Feb. 24 on the road.
