BAINBRIDGE − Karris Dye knew he needed to step up during the match between Paint Valley and Hillsboro.
A freshman thought the Bearcats needed some energy. They stalled at the end of the first half and couldn’t make shots. Dai was the only Bearcat to score a field goal before halftime, and the Indians were battling for the lead.
But when Bearcat needed her, Dai delivered. The freshman tallied his season-high 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, and on Thursday night he led the Bearcats to a 41-27 win over the Indians at Valley High School.
“I saw them getting down on themselves because the shot didn’t fall,” Dai said. “I was trying to hype them up and tell them that not everything is perfect. When Averi (McFadden) and Kendall (Dye) knocked down three seconds, we were stoked and good from there.” rice field.
Paint Valley needed a performance from Dai to survive the tenuous first half. After Dye made three quick layups and Avery McFadden sank two free throws, they extended their lead to six points in the first quarter. But that was it. Paint Valley was just 5-for-13 from the field in the first half, with all five field goals coming from Dye.
Hillsboro also saw less early success. They didn’t sink a field goal until two minutes into the second quarter and were two points clear of free throws beforehand.
But the Indians have woken up. They went 19-4 in the second quarter, shattering the narrow lead the Bearcats had built. The Indians dove into the lead, knocking down all but three field goal attempts in four minutes. The Bearcats only scored two of his goals on the field in the second quarter.
“We were already talking about Hillsborough being better than their record,” Paint Valley coach Tristan Norman said. We had to find ourselves again by remembering what we could do and what we were going to do.” As a team, as a program. ”
Still, Dye’s performance kept the Bearcats alive. They re-entered the game with Warpath and soon after he took a 10–1 run in the third quarter to tie the tie again.
What followed was the turkey shoot. Five of the Bearcats scored in the second half, throwing the Indians from all over the floor. McFadden completed his three 3-pointers after halftime to finish the game with 13 points. Kendall her die dry spell ended after she stole her two field her goals at the post. Calla Free, though not scoring, has cornered the Indians on defense. Free ended the night with five rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Hillsboro had no choice. Paint Valley does not crack. A 19-for-4 run into the second quarter proved to be the high water mark for Hillsboro. Scored just 6 points after halftime while Paint Valley ran rampant.
“We gave up 19 points in the second quarter, but usually a team that rarely goes over 19 points in an entire game,” Norman said. “We had a tough time last week. It was kind of like a fire. We feel like we’ve stalled. But they played together, they sparked, and we We found within ourselves to be the team we know.”
The Bearcats have had a trying week. They have lost his last two games (conference matches against Adena and Huntington) by a total of five points, dropping him down the conference standings. But Thursday offered reprieve. Paint Valley handled a rough patch and grabbed the non-conference victory after a solid second half performance.
What Paint Valley needed was a pickup and Dye has it.