Huskies rally from 16 down to stun Beaver Local

Calling Harrison Central’s 45-44 comeback win over Beaver Local “close” does not do the game justice.

Trailing by 16 points in the third quarter, the Lady Huskies poured in five 3-pointers, forced key turnovers and leaned on tough defense to flip what looked like a certain loss into a dramatic road victory Dec. 12.

“We came out sluggish after an hour bus trip to Beaver and the coaching staff wasn’t happy with how we performed in the first half,” Harrison Central coach Chace Smith said. “We were down 16 points in the third quarter. We had a long talk at halftime about who we are and how we want to play the remainder of the game.

“If we could just chip away and get a few stops, I still felt confident in our ability to make it a game,” he said. “We got down to single digits and then had some huge stops and buckets by our players. Bailey and Ella came up with three straight huge 3s and then Kelsey Powers sealed the deal with two huge steals with seconds remaining.”

Smith said veteran guards Mikayla Pelegreen and Kara Blackburn helped close out the win by protecting the ball and forcing Beaver Local to foul late.

“I am extremely proud of how our ladies handled adversity and found it within themselves to pull out a win,” Smith said. “A lot of teams that are down 16 points in the second half are going to pack it in and call it a night. Our girls didn’t do that. They battled each possession and truly found a way to get a big road win.”

Ella Smith, Kelsey Powers and Bailey Smith led Harrison Central with 11, 10 and 9 points, respectively. Emily Cope added 7 points, Ady Stull scored 4, and Ava Conley and Blackburn had 2 points apiece.

Ella Smith made four 2-point field goals. Bailey Smith, Powers and Cope each had three. Stull, Conley and Blackburn had one apiece.

Bailey Smith hit three 3-pointers, while Ella Smith knocked down two and Cope added one.

At the foul line, Powers made four free throws. Stull hit two and Ella Smith made one.