It was basketball, not baseball, but the Hidden Valley girls basketball team was looking for the doubleheader split.
After watching the Hidden Valley boys fall to their counterparts from William Byrd in the rare varsity boys-girls doubleheader that was flipped from the usual girls-first format, the Lady Titans made sure the Terrier cagers wouldn’t return to Vinton with a two-game sweep.
Scoring the first 13 points of the game, “Big-11” Girls #1 Hidden Valley never looked back on their way to a convincing 75-35 win over the Terriers in the evening finale at the Titan gym.
Hidden Valley was in typical form in the early going, combining a swarming half-court defense with a fast-paced motion offense that often led to open baskets.
Trailing 13-0, Byrd got its first points on a Maggie Self score in the paint with 1:50 left before the Titans reeled off the last six points of the opening quarter for a 19-2 lead after one.
Hidden Valley opened the second quarter with a 12-2 run for their largest lead of the half at 31-4 before Byrd gathered themselves to close within 35-15 heading to the locker room.
The Lady Titans wasted no time putting the game away to start the third quarter. Led in part by a surge that included a three-pointer by junior Hailey Singleton, a breakaway basket by senior Kerry Dooley and a trey by sophomore Drew Freeland, Hidden Valley went on 25-6 rampage that sent the Titans to the final frame up 60-21.
With the subs ruling the hardwood in the final 8 minutes, the teams played virtually even to close out the contest.
Singleton led the Hidden Valley scoring with 20 points. Freeland poured in 19, including 3 bombs from behind-the-arc, while freshman Jordyn Sadler tossed in 11 points for the Titans.
Self had a team-high 9 points for the Terriers, with Katherine Stanley adding 7 and Hannah Sowers netting 6 points for William Byrd.
Bill Turner
