Welcome to our new web site!

To give our readers a chance to experience all that our new website has to offer, we have made all content freely avaiable, through October 1, 2018.

During this time, print and digital subscribers will not need to log in to view our stories or e-editions.

Harrisburg girls suffer loss at hands of Eugene Eagles, now look to future

Kevin Oeth, Sports Editor
Posted 3/9/21

It was win or stay home Wednesday evening as the Harrisburg Lady Bulldogs hosted the Eugene Eagles, in the end, coach Ryan Richardson’s Lady Bulldogs fell short 55-39. The loss would spell the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Harrisburg girls suffer loss at hands of Eugene Eagles, now look to future

Posted

It was win or stay home Wednesday evening as the Harrisburg Lady Bulldogs hosted the Eugene Eagles, in the end, coach Ryan Richardson’s Lady Bulldogs fell short 55-39. The loss would spell the end of the career of six Harrisburg seniors.

 Harrisburg senior Baylie Combs hit a jump shot to break the ice for the Lady Bulldogs to giving the home team an early 2-0 lead.

Eugene, in its first-quarter offensive possessions, was very methodical in its execution. Multiple passes were the name of the game on every possession as the Eagles continued to move the ball looking for an open shot, eating up the clock. 

The two teams traded baskets until the final seconds with Eugene leading 11-10. With one second left on the clock, the Lady Eagles hit a field goal to take a 13-10 lead.

That three-point lead is one they would never relinquish as they started the second quarter with a 10-point run to pull ahead 23-10. During the quarter they developed a 32-18 lead holding Harrisburg to only eight points leading into intermission. 

During the third quarter, the Harrisburg defense stepped up and held Eugene to seven points. The offense however could not get moving as they were limited to four free throws by Combs and a field goal by sophomore Carli Ellis, leaving Harrisburg with a 15-point deficit going into the final quarter.

“We challenged them to make a few other players, other than their top three beat us,” Richardson said. “Sometimes you succeed by your game plan, sometimes you die by it.”

Certainly not giving up or making it easy for Eugene, the Lady Eagles fought hard in the fourth, scoring 15 points but still gave up 16 making the final score 55-39. During the last minute, Richardson pulled his starters from the game and put in reserves to give them a big game experience looking toward the future.

Although a senior and graduating this spring, Baylie Combs had good things to say about the future of Lady Bulldog basketball. “I’m really proud of our team. We’ve been working really hard toward winning the district championship and we put in so much time during the summer and during the off-season just grinding every day at practice,” said Combs. “We had a big year and I wish we could have gone a little bit further, but I know that our girls, through the hard work that we’ve instilled, are going to keep going throughout the years.”

Combs paced the Lady Bulldogs with 15 points followed by sophomore Brecca Thomas with 11. Ellis scored six while senior Kailey Franklin put in five. Sophomore Charlea Winscott added two.

“I appreciate the seniors, They’ve been here with me all four years I’ve been here. They’ve raised the bar and expectations,” said Richardson. “They are arguably the most successful group of seniors in Harrisburg high school girls history, hopefully, we can live up to their expectations the rest of the way in the years to come.”

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here