“This is one of our better games,” said Wildcats coach Brooks Russell. “I think we played really well as a team today. We threw the ball ahead (in transition), which is something that we really try to emphasize. Defensively, we did really well, keeping our principles and making sure that we finished possessions with rebounds the way that we want to. More than anything, I’m proud of the effort consistently across the board. All 32 minutes, no matter who was on the floor, they gave a really good effort all the way through.”
Wildcats senior Daryn Hitchcock scored a season-high 16 points and senior Milly Portis added 12 for Springfield, which snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 5-4 overall.
Hitchcock caught fire to start the game, scoring 11 points in the first quarter.
“She’s playing some of her best basketball right now,” Russell said. “She’s had a great couple days of practice. We did a competition drill the other day where we’re scoring it, and she hit like four threes in a 10 minute span of practice. So, you know, not a surprise to us, because she’s been trending that direction, but definitely a spark for us and played well tonight.”
The Wildcats saw seven players score in the victory. With Hitchcock’s emergence, Springfield has another player who can put up double figures on any given night.
“We feel like we have weapons a lot of places on the floor, and on any given night, there’s a lot of different pieces that you have to look out for,” Russell said. “We’re trying to make sure that we understand that whoever gets hot, it’s their night, and we just ride that hot hand.”
The Wildcats bounced back after back-to-back losses to Massillon Washington and Harvest Prep. They host Wayne on Saturday in a key Greater Western Ohio Conference rivalry game.
“The emotions will be high,” Russell said. “We’re trying to make sure we carry the same team intensity and game intensity into that because no matter what the scoreboard says, you know it’s going to be a close game.”
Tecumseh was playing without three varsity players due to injuries including senior Sammy Russell, a Gannon University commit and the reigning Clark County Miss Basketball. She suffered a season-ending knee injury in their third game of the season against Tippecanoe. Junior Kaitlyn Moore and sophomore Caylah Bednarczyk are also out for the season with knee injuries.
The Arrows (1-6) won their first game of the season on Dec. 20, beating Bellefontaine 61-58. The game was played at the Hoosier Gym in the Knightstown, Ind., which was the filming location for the movie Hoosiers.
“Props to (Tecumseh) for the way that they’ve still managed to compete and play hard through some of those adversity and challenges they’re facing right now,” Brooks Russell said.
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