Hempfield girls score signature win by avenging earlier loss to Indiana

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, December 29, 2023 | 9:19 PM

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Up nine and then down six in a game where no lead was safe, budding Hempfield relied on its defense and late-game aptitude to score arguably its best win of the season.

Using a lengthy second-half run to regain the lead, Hempfield pulled past Indiana, 50-42, on Friday night in the Latrobe girls basketball Christmas tournament.

The Spartans (7-2) won for the fifth time in six games while avenging a 49-38 loss to Indiana (7-2) just eight days earlier.

The Little Indians saw a seven-game winning streak end.

“It’s all about the little details,” Hempfield first-year coach Bob Madison said. “We did a good job with their pressure. Indiana, obviously, tried to create chaos. We did a nice job of staying strong.”

Hempfield, which beat one-loss Plum in the tournament opener, moved to 7-0 when it scores 50 or more points.

After Indiana took a 31-25 lead with 2 minutes, 42 seconds left in the third quarter, Hempfield pulled in a deep breath and didn’t exhale until it had a 10-point lead late in the fourth.

A 15-3 run over an eight-minute stretch allowed Hempfield to jump ahead 43-33. Senior Sarah Podkul, junior Alli Cervola and sophomore Maddy Pevarnik hit 3-pointers, Podkul scored on a drive and Cervola finished a fast break.

The shift in momentum forced Indiana to take rushed shots. The Little Indians went nearly two minutes without a field goal in the fourth.

“We had a calmness about us (in the fourth quarter),” said Podkul, the point guard. “We defended a lot better (than the previous Indiana game). This was a really important win.”

Podkul finished with a game-high 15 points, and 5-foot-11 sophomore forward Gabby Coccia added 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

“I am so proud of Gabby,” Madison said. “She recently had a little rough patch. We had a one-on-one talk about it. The last two nights, she has been outstanding. She’s a sophomore. She was a JV kid last year.

“She and (junior) Mia Shipman really rebounded well. (Senior) Ashley Hosni made some key plays, too.”

Hempfield built a 13-6 lead after the first quarter, only to watch the Little Indians rally for a 22-19 halftime edge while holding Hempfield to six points in the second.

After a pair of ties early in the third, junior Emily Betsinger sparked the Little Indians to a 30-25 lead as she hit a 3 and then scored on a drive.

But Hempfield connected on four 3s in the third, including one with 1:05 left from Pevarnik (eight points) that gave Hempfield the lead back for good at 34-33.

Podkul helped keep the offense connected late. Her basket with about two minutes left made it 45-36.

“No questions asked,” Madison said. “With the game on the line, we want the ball in Sarah’s hands.”

Indiana finished 11 for 19 at the free-throw line, and Hempfield was 10 for 15.

Senior guard Bella Antonacci led Indiana with 11 points, and sophomore Laken Kugler added eight.

Asked if this was a signature win for Hempfield, Madison said, “It’s up there. I like that we won a game that wasn’t our style. We want to run.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Hempfield, Indiana