Hornets nearly knock off Gilman with late rally

BATTLE ON THE BLOCKS - Lilly Brzezinski makes a move around her defender in the post before scoring two of her 10 points against Gilman. STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD

POWERING THROUGH THE LANE - Alexis Vanderhoof sinks a shot over a pair of Pirates during the second half last Thursday.

By Nathaniel Underwood

The Colby Hornets girls basketball team hosted Gilman for a Cloverbelt-East matchup last Thursday evening. The Pirates led for much of the evening, but a furious comeback from the Hornets over the final quarter of the contest pulled them out of a double-digit deficit. Gilman managed to hold on in the rivalry game’s last moments and Colby’s rally came up one point short as they fell 43-42.

With nine minutes left, the Hornets’ situation was looking the most dire it had all evening. The visitors had just taken their largest lead of the evening, going up 4128, and points had been at a premium for most of the contest.

Despite the tough spot they found themselves in, Colby kept pushing down the stretch. They closed down on the Pirates’ opportunities inside the arc, and while Gilman found open shots from beyond the three-point line, they were not able to take advantage. This left the door open for a Hornet rally, one that nearly flipped the game in the home team’s favor.

A free throw from Alexis Vanderhoof broke a two minute scoring drought for both teams and started a 14-2 run for Colby to close out the game. A basket from Vanderhoof two minutes later brought them back within 10 points and a pair of Colby free throws and an offensive rebound turned layup for Angelique Hernandez made it a two possession game. The run concluded when Hernandez found Alia Hamus in transition for another two points, giving Colby nine unanswered points.

Gilman finally got back on the board with a minute left in the contest, but a three from Hernandez on the next Colby possession pulled her team within three. The Colby senior quickly came up with a steal and got it to Vanderhoof, who was fouled on the fast break opportunity. Vanderhoof sank both free throws in the clutch, making the score 43-42 with 20 seconds left on the clock. The Hornets intentionally fouled to send Gilman to the free throw line, but the Pirates could not convert, giving Colby an opportunity. However, with no timeouts, a quick dash down the court was all the home team could afford and while Hernandez managed to weave through the defense, the last second shot was too strong off the backboard.

Though the comeback effort fell just short, it was still an impressive finish for a squad that has needed a boost. They had fallen by doubledigits in nine of their last ten losses, with the five-point loss to Marathon in December their closest game over that span.

The Hornets had briefly taken the lead in the first half after scoring eight straight points in quick succession. Back-to-back threes from Hernandez and Hamus tied the game and a basket in the paint from Lilly Brzezinski gave Colby a 10-8 advantage. However, Gilman was able to pull away again by scoring seven unanswered points in response and the Pirates never trailed again.

Hernandez co-led all scorers in the game with 13 points. She also added eight rebounds and six steals, leading the Hornets in the latter stat. Vanderhoof had 11 points, three steals and led Colby with four assists.

Brzezinski had a double-double, collecting 10 points and gathering 15 rebounds over the course of the evening. Hamus added five points and Audrey Fleischmann picked up three.

STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD