PENDLETON — A pair of dependable seniors playing their final game at home filled the stat sheet for Pendleton Heights Monday evening.
But two members of their supporting cast keyed a late surge that powered the Arabians to their ninth-straight win.
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Senior Sam Hammel scored 20 of her 25 points in the first half, and senior Adrienne Phillips grabbed 14 rebounds and handed out six assists, as Pendleton Heights held off a stubborn Indianapolis Crispus Attucks team 60-53 Monday.
After falling behind 7-0 to start the game, Pendleton Heights (18-3) surged back with a 13-4 run, led by six from Hammel, to take a lead it would hold until late in the third quarter. Early in the third, a layup from junior Lauren Landes, off an assist from Phillips, gave the Arabians their biggest lead of the game at 40-27.
But the Tigers responded by scoring the next 10 points, capped by a 3-point shot from senior Lauren Shepherd and a 3-point play by junior Mikia Keith, to close the gap to 40-37. A baseline jumper by Shepherd to close the third and another to open the fourth gave the Tigers a 47-44 lead.
“They have a lot of skill there,” Arabian coach Chad Cook said. “That’s a good team. They had a lot of fight. We could have done some things better. They’re a quick team, but we found another way to win today.”
The Arabians answered in the fourth with a run of their own.
Senior Ashley King, who entered the game averaging four points per game, hit back-to-back shots, including a rebound basket to give the lead back to the Arabians.
Then junior Lauren Landes, averaging 7.8 ppg, scored another layup off a pass from Phillips and, two possessions later, converted a 3-point play as Pendleton Heights outscored the Tigers 14-2 during the next several minutes. Landes, who scored 12 on the night, had seven points in the fourth quarter.
“That goes back to our senior leadership,” Cook said. “They weren’t about to lose in their last game here. Ashley has done a lot of good things for us this year and continues to do them. She’s looking to score more, and we needed that scoring at that time. She’s going to the basket and hitting the offensive glass — that’s real big. Lauren was cutting hard and driving to the basket — being quick to things was critical.”
Keith hit back-to-back baskets to pull the Tigers within 58-53 with just over two minutes to play, but the Arabian defense shut out Attucks (14-5) the rest of the way, forcing four turnovers in the closing moments. Landes broke loose for an open layup to close out the scoring and provide the final margin.
Hammel pulled down nine rebounds and collected seven steals to go along with a new career high in scoring. King scored 10, and Phillips had 11, as four Arabians ended the game in double figures.
The Arabian junior varsity team had much less trouble with the Tigers, picking up a 61-22 win. Sophomore Kailyn Graham scored 13 points, and freshman Ally Hall added 11 points and three assists. Freshman Laikyn Conner had 13 rebounds, and sophomore Niyah Loomis had five steals. Conner and freshman Gracie King combined for 12 blocked shots, with King leading the way with seven.
The Arabians traveled to Noblesville Wednesday, Jan. 26, to meet the Millers. The JV will play at 6 p.m. with the varsity matchup to follow.
Vs. Connersville
The Arabians overcame a sluggish start on the road Friday, Jan. 20, to hand the Spartans a 56-37 defeat.
Hammel and Phillips paced the offense, scoring 17 and 14 points, respectively, but it was team defense that made the difference. After trailing 8-7 at the end of the first quarter, Pendleton Heights outscored Connersville (10-12) in the second and third quarters by a 35-12 margin to take control.
