Taking what United South Central would allow, the Clipper varsity girls pulled ahead late in the first half and went on to beat the Rebels 69-58 in Wells on Monday.
“It was a little closer than we wanted at the end, but we did a great job in the first five minutes in the first half pushing ball, and we wanted to do that in the second half too,” said head coach Joe Remiger.
With a 68-35 loss in Sherburn to Martin County West on Thursday, the Clippers came into the contest from a three-game slide.
The Rebels jumped out to a 7-0 start, but Greta Hahn climbed out of a slump from behind the arc to get the Clippers on the board. After USC scored again, Hahn took a long pass from her sister Ava Hahn in for a layup to pull the Clippers within four, 9-5.
Lacey McCabe (above) stole and then grabbed an offensive rebound on the possession and, strong on the boards all night, put it back up for a basket, followed it up with a drive for two more points and then assisted Ava Hahn to put the Clippers in front 11-10.
From there, Keira Schipper and Mariah McCabe each tossed in a three, but the Rebels kept up for a 18-18 tie. After Greta Hahn hit back-to-back threes, the Clippers took a lead they would never relinquish. Mollie Bowman scored inside, and then Ava Hahn hit a layup and a three, and the Clippers had a 31-23 advantage at the break.
The Rebels, who were missing a starter and had another starter playing after suffering a bruised knee early in the game, let the Clippers inside in the second half. Ava Hahn put in four baskets from the floor and a three while Greta Hahn had a trio of two-point baskets and a three.
With five threes in the second half, the Rebels hung around, but the Clippers held on for the triumph.
“We know that anything we do we are going to have to fight for it, and the girls did tonight,” Remiger said. “As a team, as individuals, we did a better job rebounding. Lacey McCabe, Addi (Holden), Mollie, Schipper. Getting those girls in there and having some bench…if we would have their bench we would have struggled.”
With four threes, four twos and four free throws, Greta Hahn paced the Clippers with 24 points. Ava Hahn had a pair of threes and totaled 19 points. Schipper contributed seven points. Lacey McCabe had six points. Bowman added four points, and Mariah McCabe scored three points.
The Clippers totaled nine threes and were eight of 18 in free throw shooting. USC put in seven threes and were 11 of 18 from the foul stripe.
Against MCW, the Mavericks were up 40-17 at the break.
Ava Hahn led the Clippers with 11 points, nine of them from three-point territory. Bowman scored seven points. Lacey McCabe had five points. Schipper had five points. Holden scored two points, and Greta Hahn was limited to a free throw.
Lacey McCabe and Schipper each had a three for five threes for the Clippers. They were six of 15 from the foul line. MCW put in six threes and were 10 of 16 in free throw shooting.
The Clippers host 18-6 Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton tonight at 5:45.
Greta Hahn confronts a rebel defender in the lane.
Keira Schipper sets her sights on the basket.
Ava Hahn brings the ball down court.