Lake City Off To A Fast Start Hatrock Scores 26 In Victory Over Centennial
It was two thumbs up for the debut of the Lake City High School girls basketball team Friday - one digit each especially for first-year coach Dave Stockwell and point guard Katie Hatrock.
The defending State A-1 champion Timberwolves pulled away from a familiar state rival, Centennial, as No. 1-ranked Lake City posted a 70-53 victory.
Stockwell couldn’t have scripted a better season-opening game. It was his first game in the producer’s chair as he takes over for longtime coach Dave Fealko.
It was Hatrock’s first start in place of all-state standout Jennifer Kerns, who has gone on to Washington State University.
The pesky, 5-foot-5 Hatrock wasted no time making her presence felt as she scored a game-high 26 points. She demonstrated veteran-like poise running the offense and headed up LC’s all-court pressure with the tenacity of a piranha.
Hatrock never dreamed she’d have a debut like she did Friday.
“Not at all,” she said, smiling. “It’s not like last year, when I was behind (Kerns) all the time. I was really nervous. But this game kind of proved I have nothing to worry about. Pressure is not even a factor anymore.
“(Coach) Stockwell’s been telling me ever since (preseason practice) started that this is my team and I have to stand up and take control of it no matter what. That’s what a point guard does.”
Hatrock scored eight of her points on 8-of-9 shooting from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to thwart the Patriots’ hopes of a comeback.
“Katie had a helluva game,” Stockwell said. “People will know Katie Hatrock by the end of the season.”
If not after the opener.
“I pushed her hard for two weeks,” Stockwell said. “I told her every night ‘It’s your team and it goes as you go.”’
Hatrock wasn’t without assistance, though.
Sophomore sensation Lindsay Herbert added 16 points, six assists and two steals.
It was a tight game for a half. In fact, Centennial used an 11-1 run early in the second quarter to open its biggest lead at 21-13. But the T-Wolves pulled even in the final minute and a high-arcing 3-pointer by Laura Tolzmann gave LC a 31-28 lead at intermission.
LC’s half-court pressure and easy scores in transition buried the Pats in the third quarter. A basket off a steal by Natalie Telford put LC ahead 39-28 just 2 minutes into the second half.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Staci Kirk and Barrie Jensen cut LC’s lead to 40-36. But following a timeout, LC outscored Centennial 13-6 to close out the quarter with a comfortable 53-42 lead.
The Pats, who committed 39 turnovers, were forced into four more mistakes midway in the final quarter, allowing LC to extend its lead to 62-44. The T-Wolves twice led by 19 in the final minutes.
Kirk, Centennial’s lone returning starter whose minutes were limited due to a bout with flu, scored 15 points as did Jensen.
Centennial coach Emery Roy, whose teams over the years have waged some entertaining battles with the Fealko-Stockwell coached teams, was impressed with LC.
“I thought we’d be able to get them this year, but they’ve got those transfers and they’re awfully tough,” Roy said.
“We stuck with them for a half, but the third period really hurt,” Roy added. “It was crucial turnovers, the girls got frustrated, you could see our inexperience there.”
Lake City 70, Centennial 53
Centennial 10 18 14 11 - 53
Lake City 12 19 22 17 - 70
CENTENNIAL Martin 2, Birch 4, Weber 0, McDonough 0, Yargason 2, Kirk 15, R. Jensen 2, Pellant 10, B. Jensen 15, Wilde 0, Snyder 1, Scown 2.
LAKE CITY Jacobson 2, Hatrock 26, Tolzmann 8, Telford 6, Stetson 8, M. Asher 6, Teston 0, Herbert 16, A. Asher 0, Dodge 0.
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