Second-half surge propels HHS to Frontier Shootout title

Hennessey cranked up the pressure in the second half.

Wesleyan Christian couldn’t respond.

The improved defensive performance led the Eagles to the Frontier Shootout championship with a 62-49 victory on Saturday night.

Down six at the half after giving up 33 points, the Eagles started trapping more out of their zone defense.

“And we just played harder,” said coach Brady Page.

The result saw the Mustangs score just 16 second- half points in being dealt their first loss of the season.

After making five firsthalf treys, they managed just one in the second half.

Ty Cloud scored 12 in the first half for Wesleyan Christian, but was held to four in the second. After making three treys and scoring 11 in the first two quarters, Cooper Holley was scoreless over the final two.

Meanwhile, Hennessey’s offense warmed up.

Jael Torres scored six points and Hunter Weber five as the Eagles outscored Wesleyan Christian 20-11 in the third quarter.

“We hit some shots early and that got us going with some momentum,” Page said.

And it was a balanced attack.

James Sims led the way with 15 points.

He did much of his damage by scoring 13 in the first half to help keep the Eagles in it.

Torres also finished with 15 points.

Camdyn Richardson scored 14, which included going 8 of 9 from the free throw line to put the game away in the fourth.

Weber scored 11 as the Eagles improved their season record to 4-1.

Lady Eagles 6th

Scoring issues cost the Hennessey Lady Eagles a consolation championship.

The Lady Eagles went scoreless in the second quarter and never fully recovered Saturday as they fell 31-22 to Morrison in the fifth-place game at the Frontier Shootout.

Four players scored in the first quarter as Hennessey got out to a 9-5 lead, but it didn’t carry over.

Morrison turned a fourpoint deficit into a onepoint halftime lead and then outscored Hennessey 14-7 in the third quarter.

Emma Copeland paced Hennessey with nine points, all on 3-pointers.

Kadee Meeker scored five.

The Lady Eagles got into the consolation championship with Friday’s 53-31 victory against Wesleyan Christian.

They got out of the blocks with a 19-4 run and were never threatened.

Copeland scored seven points in that first-quarter burst.

She finished with a game-high 16 points.

Ally Painter added 10 and Meeker scored nine.

Hennessey was 3-2 overall after Saturday’s loss.