The Huntington North girls basketball team opened up its Northeast 8 Conference schedule on Friday night, Dec. 3 in North Arena, dropping a 52–34 decision to 3A No. 2 Norwell. The Lady Vikes looked to be the better team in the early going, storming out to a quick 10-3 lead with 2:43 left in the first quarter, highlighted by seven points from Taylor Double. But, the Knights would find their footing and settle in, dominating the rest of the frame with an 8-2 run to close the period, as Huntington North took a slim 12-11 advantage into the second quarter. Norwell carried its momentum into the second, opening with a 6-2 run before ultimately outscoring Huntington North 16-6 in the quarter to open up a 27-18 lead at halftime. The Lady Vikes battled in the third quarter, matching the Norwell offense with 12 points for each side in the frame to push the score to 39-30 with one quarter to play. But the Knights took over in the game’s final period, holding Huntington North to just four points in the frame while pouring in 13 more of their own to run away with a convincing 52-34 decision when the final buzzer sounded. “We played hard and intense, but not disciplined,” said Huntington North head coach Matt Hinds. “Once again, we did a good job of keeping them out of the paint, but didn’t get out to shooters very well. Offensively, we were not aggressive to score and settled too much.” Double led Huntington North with 18 points and eight rebounds. Gracie Fields tallied nine points, while Leah Hertel’s three points would round out the Viking scoring podium. Elle McDonald and Marissa Trout completed the Huntington North scoring output with two points apiece. Turnovers proved costly for the Lady Vikes, squandering possession 20 times throughout the night to help ignite the Knight offense. Kennedy Fuelling paced Norwell with a game-high 19 points, while Makenzie Fuess finished right on her heels with 18, including burying five three-pointers in the win for the guests. Norwell also claimed the JV contest by a final score of 48–23. Lynnsey Degitz and Camryn Working would each sink seven points for the Lady Vikes.
HN 54, Manchester 25
The Huntington North girls basketball team got back to its winning ways on Tuesday, Dec. 6, claiming a convincing 54–25 road win at Manchester. The victory improved Huntington North’s season record to 5–2. The Lady Vikes wasted absolutely no time asserting their dominance in the game’s early going, exploding to a 21-2 lead out of the gate. By the time the first quarter came to a close, Huntington North was firmly in control at 28-7, with Marissa Trout pouring in 12 points in the period. Huntington North extended the margin in the second quarter, bringing a sizable 38-13 advantage into halftime. Rather than taking their foot off the gas, the Lady Vikes continued to pour it on in the third, limiting Manchester to just one single point in the stanza to push the gap to 46–14 after three quarters. Manchester would manage to outscore Huntington North 11-8 in the fourth quarter, but it would prove to be too little, too late, as the Lady Vikes easily secured the 54-25 win when the final buzzer sounded. “We really thought our intensity was good from the start,” said head coach Matt Hinds. “Defensively, we really pressured the ball, which led to some Manchester turnovers and allowed us to get some easy baskets. Offensively, we shot the ball better, which plays off our defense getting those easy baskets early and helps the confidence. The next shot always feels a little better after you have made some.” Trout proved to be the star for Huntington North, sinking a game-high 20 points in the win for the Lady Vikes. Trout added 10 rebounds for her first-ever double-double performance and also handed out four assists. Trout’s stellar outing proved significant for the Vikes in the absence of Taylor Double, who missed the game due to injury. Gracie Fields added nine points, four rebounds and three assists for Huntington North, while Haiden Bailey and Leah Hertel both tied for third on the team with eight points scored. Bailey also snatched a remarkable eight steals in the victory. Gabby Leichty registered five points for the Lady Vikes, while Elle McDonald and Hailey Rains completed the Huntington North scoring with two points apiece. Brookelynn Buzzard led the way for Manchester with 10 points, while Gracie Lauer was close behind with nine. Kim Schroll and Maddy Miller rounded out the scoring for the Squires with four and two points, respectively. Huntington North won 10–6 in the JV contest, which featured only two quarters. Lynnsey Degitz and Camryn Working led the Lady Vikes with three points apiece, while Abby Grube and Grace Michel each scored two points.
