For The Tribune
HOPE
Class A No. 5 Trinity Lutheran ran into a hungry Hauser team looking for its first win of the season after opening the year with three straight losses on the road, and unfortunately for the Cougars, they did not have an answer Saturday afternoon, falling to the home standing Jets 47-37.
“I think we were flat coming out,” Trinity coach Mike Lang said. “We had a good win the other night (at Indianapolis Lutheran), but we didn’t have that road toughness we needed to win today. I’m proud of the way we battled back in the last quarter, but Hauser had an answer. I give them the credit.”
The Jets (1-3) controlled the action from the opening tip and led by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter on their way the win in a game in which they never trailed.
After a Hannah Johnson free throw opened the scoring, a Mykenzie Ault field goal followed by Jada Asher’s 3-pointer put the Jets up 6-0 to begin the game. Hauser’s defense also was on display early and did not allow the Cougars (1-1) to score a field goal for the first 6:10 of the game, allowing the Jets to lead 13-8 after the first quarter.
“I think our zone surprised them,” Hauser coach Brad Hamilton said. “I also have been preaching ball pressure to them, and for three games we haven’t done that, but today, we lived it.”
The second quarter brought more of the same defensive intensity from the Jets, who held Trinity to six points in the period. The Cougars, however, played great defense of their own and held Hauser to five points in the quarter. Although the Jets were able to extend their lead to eight midway through the period, Trinity scored the last four points of the half to cut the lead to 18-14 when both teams headed for the locker rooms.
The second half started much like the first, with Hauser jumping on the Cougars with a quick 8-2 run to extend the lead to 26-16. Trinity cut the lead back to eight on a Hannah Sabotin field goal, but Aunaka Wasil nailed a 3, and Ault followed with a steal and layup for two of her team-leading 16 points to put the Jets up by 13 with 1:15 left in the third quarter. The Cougars scored the last three points of the quarter, however, and entered the fourth trailing 31-21.
Hauser began the fourth quarter with a 7-2 run to take its biggest lead of the game at 38-23 with 5:05 remaining. Trinity’s Savannah Harweger then scored two of her team-high 16 points to stop the run, but Mel Hasler answered right back for the Jets to extend the lead back up to 15.
The Cougars did not go quietly, closing to within six after going on a 10-1 run. A 3-pointer and a field goal from Harweger and four points from Sydney Jaynes keyed the late charge to cut the lead to 41-35, but that was as close as they would get.
“I have to do a better job of getting the girls ready to play,” Lang said. “It’s on me to have them ready to go.”