Lady Athenians celebrate senior night win
Crawfordsville knocked down a season-high 11 3-pointers on Friday night in a 52-47 girls’ basketball win over Sagamore Conference foe Frankfort.
Celebrating five seniors, the Athenians (7-16, 1-6) led 12-6 after a quarter and 26-20 at the half behind six made triples in the first 16 minutes.
“From film we had a good feeling they were going to play 2-3 (zone defense) and we were really working on some different sets to get looks and I thought we were a little too 3-point reliant at first,” Crawfordsville coach Tyler Smith said. “but it works when they’re going down and we like to play that way and when they’re going down it gives us confidence in other aspects.”
For the game the Athenians were 11-of-18 (61%) from deep — opening up a 40-33 lead after three quarters – and to 46-35 early in the fourth behind 3-pointers from Liddy McCarty and Kearston Hutchens.
Shea Williamson led all scorers with 22 points to help Crawfordsville to its first SAC win and a victory on senior night.
“I think it’s just the last game, the fight you have in you. Knowing it’s the last time on your home court and you just really want to get it done and the team to do well and working together like that is just so fun and feeding off of each other’s energy is the best part about the game,” the senior said after the win.
Williamson scored 12 in the second half, including a lay-up in the final minute to put the icing on the cake. She also helped the Athenian defense hold Frankfort to a 19-of-53 (36%) shooting effort from the field.
“I think she’s an all-conference player,” Smith said. “She just does everything. Filling up the stat sheet, being our leader and stepping up.”
Vanessa Guardado led the Hot Dogs with 15, while Payton Dubree added 14, and Jordan Frazier 13 as the Hot Dogs fell to 3-19 overall and 1-6 in the SAC.
Olivia Reed added 14 for the Athenians on four made 3-pointers, including three in the first half. Fellow senior Kearston Hutchens added eight.
“We could face adversity,” Reed said about her senior teammates. “We went through COVID, we went through some struggles in games and went through a lot together, but we went through it together as a class. We just fought hard for four years straight.”
The Athenians celebrated Hutchens, McCarty, Reed, Williamson, and Laine Schlicher after the game.
“I can’t say enough about that group,” Smith said about the group. “When we took this program over three years ago, that class ‘we don’t know what the program is like without them,’ they mean so much to the school, community. They’re just really good people and have really good futures.”
Crawfordsville plays North Montgomery at Danville on Wednesday in the IHSAA Sectional opener.
Crawfordsville 52, Frankfort 47
Score By Quarter
FF 6 14 13 14 — 47
CHS 12 14 14 12 — 52
CRAWFORDSVILLE (7-16, 1-6): Taylor Abston 2 1-2 5, Shea Williamson 8 2-7 22, Liddy McCarty 1 0-2 3, Kearston Hutchens 3 0-0 8, Olivia Reed 5 0-0 14; Totals 19-49 3-12 52.
FRANKFORT (3-19, 1-6): Jordan Frazier 6 0-0 13, Payton Dubree 6 2-4 14, Vanessa Guardado 5 5-6 15, Saira Flores 2 1-4 5, Carina Alanis 0 0-1 0; Totals 19-53 8-17 47.
3-Point Shooting: FF 1-5 (Frazier), CHS 11-28 (Reed 4, Williamson 4, Hutchens 2, McCarty).
Rebounds: FF 20, CHS 27
Turnovers: FF 15, CHS 16