By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
JACKSONVILLE – Tonya Hunter’s Hewitt Trussville Lady Huskies are on quite a tear this season, ranking in the top 5 in the state and accomplishing a winning streak that hit 16 games in a row on Wednesday with their 56-30 win over Huntsville in the Northeast Regional Semi Finals.
The Huskies dominated on the defensive side of the ball, starting the game by allowing the Panthers to score just 4 points in the first quarter. The Huskies would manage 12 points of their own to lead the game after one quarter of play.
In the second, the Huskies would once again smother the Huntsville offensive efforts by holding them to just 5 points in the period. The Husky offense would slow down a bit in the second though, scoring just 5 points of their own. The game would be 17-9 heading into the half.
Hewitt would continue to dominate on defense in the third quarter, allowing just 6 points by the Panthers in the period. The Huskies would find some traction on offense in the third, picking up 13 points, their highest to this point in the game.
The fourth quarter would be the Huskies’ biggest in terms of offense, as they would put up 26 points. The defense would lose a little bit of footing in the final period, allowing Huntsville to have their most successful quarter of the game with 15 points, but it would be nowhere near enough. Hewitt would extend their winning streak and their season with a 56-30 win over the Huntsville Panthers.
Audre Benson would lead the Huskies for the night with 16 points to go with 2 rebounds, 5 steals and an assist. Jordan Hunter would add 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals for Hewitt on the night. A returning April Hooks would contribute 12 points of her own as well as 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Lilly Gray would also help the Huskies with a team-high 10 rebounds to go with her 7 points and one block.
“Playing in the sweet sixteen is such a fun experience for the kids,” said Hewitt Coach Tonya Hunter. “To see our student body and the support that these young ladies get, it creates an awesome atmosphere for girls basketball. From start to finish, we played well and very poised. We were happy to have April Hooks back We missed her the last few games. Our defensive effort was great and we got great looks at some open threes that I know we can knock down. We will take these next few days and regroup and get ready for our Elite Eight game on Tuesday.”
The Huskies will get a bit of time off before heading to the Elite Eight Regional Finals at Jacksonville State University on Tuesday at 9:00 am against Sparkman.