WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The #RV Forester women’s basketball team got off to a rough start but righted their wrong by the fourth quarter for a 67-59 come-from-behind win over Bethel Saturday afternoon at Platt Arena.

The Pilots reeled off the game’s first eight points before Coach Maggard and crew knew what hit them. The guests would go on to extend the lead to as many as 15 in the first quarter before HU got four points back by the first break.

Things got worse before better for the hosts in the second quarter as a Bethel three, one of five in the opening 20 minutes, ballooned the difference to 17 at 37-20 with just under three minutes left in the half. The Pilots took a 41-27 advantage into intermission before Huntington started their comeback.

Threes by Kyndell Jochim and Annaka Nelson on consecutive possessions for HU early in the third trimmed things to ten at 43-33 after which Liv Raby took matters into her own hands. The 6-1 center scored six straight points in a matter of 60 seconds to pull HU within four at 43-39 by the midway point of the quarter.  While the Pilots, who held on for a 51-46 lead heading into the fourth, weren’t about to lay down and die, it was the beginning of the end for them.

HU scored 13 of the first 16 points of the fourth with Jochim’s two freebies halfway through the quarter finally knotting things up at 54 before Gabi Melby’s driving layup gave the Foresters their first lead of the ballgame. It was déjà vu for HU as Jochim scored two more from the line after which Melby followed up with another bucket in the paint to pad the HU lead to 60-54 with just over three minutes to go.

It was clock management after that which included the Foresters going 6-for-7 from the charity stripe in the final 90 seconds to lock up the win. As it turned out, Huntington limited their guests to just 18 second half points while going off for 40 at the other end of the floor.

Jochim, in her first start of the season, topped all scorers with a career-tying 16 points which included 12 from downtown. Melby netted 14 in addition to ripping down a team-best nine rebounds, dishing out five assists and posting four steals. Raby added 13 points to round out Huntington’s double digit scoring.

Isabel Scales paced the Pilots with 12 points. Olivia Nickerson registered 11 points while Caroline Morris finished with nine points and 14 boards.

With today’s dub, the Foresters extend their win streak over Bethel to five. Since 2016, HU has enjoyed a 15-1 record against BU. Maggard and crew are off until December 4 when they travel to #18 Saint Francis for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off with the Cougars.