Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
LUDINGTON — In a girls basketball season-opening matchup pitting favorites in their respective West Michigan Conference divisions, Hart rallied for a 43-42 overtime victory over host Ludington Tuesday night at Hawley Gymnasium.
The Pirates trailed by nine with 6:14 remaining in regulation, but they used grit, resilience and pressure defense to wipe out the deficit and pull out the big road victory.
A free throw by Hart junior guard Abby Hicks with 3:16 left in the four-minute OT period proved the difference.
Here are notables and more details from the game:
- Hart sophomomore Addi Hovey overcame early foul trouble to score a game-high 17 points to go along with eight rebounds. The 5-foot-10 wing picked up her second foul 3:02 into the game and went to the bench for most of the remainder of the first quarter.
- Hart senior guard Aspen Boutell packed the stat sheet with 12 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists.
- Hicks finished with seven points, 10 rebounds and three assists to boost the Pirates.
- Hart senior guard Mariana VanAgtmael added seven points.
- Ludington senior Olivia Lynn, a 5-11 forward, paced her team with 15 points, six rebounds and two assists.
- Ludington senior Keelyn Laird, a 6-3 center who recently signed to play basketball at Ferris State University, finished with eight points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists.
- Ludington senior Annie Kline and sophomore Elianna Jeruzal added five points apiece. Kline also had three assists, while Jeruzal had six rebounds and four assists.
- Ludington led 9-6 after one quarter, 16-12 at halftime and 29-25 through three quarters.
- Ludington is coming off a 20-6 season in 2021-22, in which the Orioles advanced to the Division 2 state semifinals at the Breslin Center. This is their first season in the West Michigan Conference after competing in the Lakes 8 Activities Conference.
- Hart is coming off a 17-4 season, in which the Pirates captured the West Michigan Conference title.
- Next up: This Friday, Hart visits arch-rival Shelby in a WMC Rivers Division contest while Ludington hosts Fremont in a WMC Lakes Division opener.
