Hampshire's 27-win season ends in regional final
Hampshire coach Mike Featherly was proud of his team's effort in the regional final against Rockton Hononegah - but there was a stretch of about 3 minutes he would like to have back.
During that stretch, at the end of the second quarter, the Indians reeled off 13 straight points, turning a 16-14 lead into a 29-14 margin. And that was basically the difference in the ballgame as the Indians held on for a 45-31 win in their own Class 4A regional.
Ally Cermak and Morgan Haefling scored 9 points apiece for Hampshire.
Hampshire missed 5 straight shots during that second-quarter stretch, and the Indians turned a couple of turnovers into transition baskets.
"I thought we gave a pretty good effort except for that run in the second quarter and, man, that was the game," said Featherly. "And it just stayed at that 10, 12 mark for awhile. But we kept fighting and clawing back. Nothing to be ashamed of."
The Indians used their height to full advantage to clog up the middle. Hononegah's zone defense looked like a stand of sequoias at times, forcing the Whip-Purs to settle for 3-pointers. The Whips got some open looks, but couldn't knock down enough to stay in the game.
"Going into the game, watching film on them, I felt pretty comfortable offensively," Featherly said. "But that was by far their best defensive game I've seen. They did a real good job taking away the inside. I thought we had some wide-open 3-pointers, too."
Hampshire's reward for a 26-win regular season and Fox Valley Conference championship was an hour bus ride to face the powerful Indians, on their home court, no less.
"This is the third year we've been a 20-win team and the third time a 3 seed, rightfully so. You've got to seed the whole sectional if you want a true sectional. I mean, we'd be a 3 seed in the whole sectional, not just the regional," Featherly said. "But, you've got to play them at some point."
The Whips never led, but were tied at 3, 6, and 9, and trailed just 13-12 after a Cermak 3-pointer in the second quarter. Hannah Malcomson (13 points) answered in kind for Hononegah, and Kelby Bannerman scored inside for Hampshire to make it 16-14.
But the visitors wouldn't score again until a 3 by Jessica Heine just before halftime.
Bannerman, who missed much of the first half after picking up her second foul, finished with 4 points and 7 rebounds for Hampshire, which finished the season 27-6.
Jordan King led Hononegah with 19 points.
But Featherly couldn't be disappointed with a season that included 27 wins and an outright FVC championship.
"This team just found ways to win and compete all year," he said.