Dialog reporter
WILMINGTON – Adrianna Hahn’s afternoon did not get off to the best start on Tuesday, but all ended well for the Ursuline senior. Hahn converted two free throws with 5.4 seconds remaining to boost the Raiders to a 50-48 win over Lawrence County (Tenn.) in the St. Francis Healthcare Cup third-place game at the Diamond State Classic.
The two-time state player of the year missed several shots in the first half as Ursuline spotted the Wildcats a 10-point halftime lead, which had shrunk to eight at the start of the fourth quarter. But Hahn kept shooting and leading her teammates as they fought back. She scored 12 of her game-high 27 points in the final stanza, including hitting both ends of the one-and-one at the end.
“I was nervous,” Hahn admitted. “It was a one-and-one, so if I missed the first shot, it was most likely going into overtime. That would have been a good experience for us to go into overtime, but hitting those shots, I knew I had to make them.”
Since their shots weren’t going in, it was crucial for the Raiders to perform in the other areas of the game, such as getting out in transition, running their screens and playing the team’s signature defense, she added.
“We knew we had to come out strong in the third quarter, and we’ve been doing that well in a couple of our games,” Hahn said.
Lawrence County went on a seven-point run during the third quarter to turn a 30-24 advantage into 37-24 with two minutes to go in the stanza. Nearly all of the damage was done by sophomore forward Taylor Clark, who had nine of the Wildcats’ 11 third-quarter points.
Hahn ended Ursuline’s drought with a three-pointer, but the Raiders still had work to do. Employing its press, the Raiders cut the lead to 39-31 with one quarter to go.
Having found its shooting touch, Ursuline scored the first 10 points of the fourth to take its first lead since the second quarter at 41-39. Lawrence County responded to take the lead again, but the Raiders found themselves ahead, 48-44. The Wildcats fought back to tie with 1:13 to go, and Ursuline ran the clock down on its next possession before Hahn was fouled, setting the stage for the winning free throws.
Besides Hahn, six other Raiders scored, including Kryshell Gordy and Alyssa Irons with six apiece. The Raiders went 2-1 in the Diamond State and are now 6-1. They are right back at the St. E Center on Monday for a Catholic Conference game against St. Elizabeth at 7:15 p.m.
