Hornets fall to Walnut Ridge

Harrisburg (0-3) trailed by only six at halftime before Walnut Ridge went on a 11-0 the late in the third quarter to blow the game open on their way to 72-49 win over the Hornets this past Thursday in an non-conference matchup at the Hornets Nest.

Walker Casebier gave Harrisburg an early 2-0 lead with two free throws as the Bobcats hit a jumper and three-pointer to go up 5-2. Eastin Gray scored inside to cut the lead to one before Walnut Ridge scored in the paint and off the fast break to push the lead to 9-4 with 4:08 left. The Hornets scored six straight points as Axel Heeb hit a jumper before Casebier scored inside and got a steal and lay up to make the score 10-9 Harrisburg. The Bobcats scored down, Casebier hit a jumper in the lane only to see Walnut Ridge score the next six points to make it 17-12 Bobcats. JP Rowton hit a jumper as the Bobcats answered with a jumper to make the score 19-14 Walnut Ridge after one.

The Bobcats pushed their lead to 21-14 with a basket in the paint as Harrisburg reeled off seven points with Jakobe Tate hitting two free throws, Max Tracy connecting on a jumper, JP Rowton hitting one of two free throws and Bryce McCartney scoring down low to make tie the game at 21 with 4:22 left. The Bobcats scored the next six points take a 27-21 lead, before JP Rowton hit a jumper in the lane making it 27-23 Walnut Ridge. The Bobcats hit back-to-back jumpers as Noah Mullins added a basket late to make it 31-25 Bobcats at the half.

Harrisburg's Walker Casebier shoots a jumper during the Hornets' game with Walnut Ridge last Tuesday in Harrisburg. (Photo by Cosmo Cossey)

Walnut Ridge pushed the lead to 37-25 with 5:53 left before Heeb canned a three-ball to make it 37-28. The Bobcats answered with a three-pointer as Heeb hit two free throws to make it 40-30.

Walnut Ridge put back an offensive rebound, Jakobe Tate hit a jumper only to see the Bobcats go on an 11-0 run making the score 53-32 with a minute left in the quarter. Williams Graves hit triple twine for the Hornets as Walnut Ridge hit a jumper to make it 55-35.

JP Rowton was fouled as he took a long shot for a three-pointer at the buzzer. Rowton made two of the three free throws to make it 55-37 after three quarters of play.

Harrisburg opened the opened the fourth quarter with two free throws from JP Rowton and back-to-back three-pointers from Heeb to make it 55-45 with 6:28 left. Walnut Ridge put the game out of reach with a 14-0 run to push their lead to 69-45 with just over three minutes left. Heed stopped the run with a three-pointer before the Bobcats hit one of two free throws and score off the fast break making the score 72-47 Walnut Ridge. William Rowton hit one of two free throws for the Hornets with just over a minute left to set the final score at 72-49 Bobcats.

“We cut to six at halftime and then cut it to 10 with just over six minutes to play and then get outscored 17-4 to end the game,” Harrisburg head coach John Paul Geniesse said after the game. “Turnovers and fouled killed us tonight but I was proud of how hard our kids played tonight,” Geniesse added. “Heeb played really well for us tonight as did Casebier. Really proud of our effort but we can't close a game like we did tonight,” Geniesse said.

Heeb finished with 15 points to lead Harrisburg as JP Rowton added nine points. Casebier netted eight points with Jakobe Tate scoring four points for the Hornets.