The Hempfield girls basketball team is beginning to carve out a defensive identity.
The proof came in two mercy-ruled games at the Latrobe Wildcat Christmas Tournament, where they gave up a total of 47 points.
Hempfield suffocated host Latrobe from the tip and complemented the effort with balanced scoring in a 62-37 victory Saturday night. The win was the first for Hempfield over Latrobe since 2019.
Guard play stood out on both ends of the floor for Hempfield (9-2) as Ava Shipman had a career night with her first double-double — 20 points and 13 rebounds — Regan Fisher scored 18 and Lilly Houghtalen 16 in the decisive win.
On Friday night, the Lady Spartans ran past a young Southmoreland team, 70-10.
“Coach (Bob) Madison tells how defense turns into offense,” Shipman said. “Defense allows us to get more transition. We’re getting more confident and sharing the ball more.”
Hempfield’s man-to-man defense, which thrived on consistent help, was particularly effective on Wildcats standout forward Maggie Maiers, who was limited to nine points but grabbed 12 rebounds for Latrobe (4-4).
The Wildcats had only nine field goals and made 18 of 28 free throws against the physical Spartans.
“We didn’t make shots,” Latrobe coach Mackenzie Livingston said. “We had good looks. They just didn’t go in. (Hempfield) shot the ball really well.”
After a quick uniform switch — white to black — Latrobe bounced back with authority in its second game of the night, cruising past Southmoreland, 64-28, in the nightcap of the three-team tournament.
Hempfield led 12-6 after the first quarter, with Houghtalen scoring seven, and 28-10 at the half, the latter score the result of a 14-0 run to end the second. Shipman had seven in the quarter.
Fisher’s big quarter was the third, when she scored nine.
“Defense is a huge emphasis for us,” Madison said. “It always has been. We’ve made some tweaks … and they have paid off. We have an athletic group. They kept their feet moving and communicated.”
Momentum carried over into the second half as Hempfield opened with a 12-2 run, including 3-pointers from Shipman and Fisher.
Latrobe fended off the mercy rule as long as it could, with a 7-1 run to end the third — all on free throws — making it 44-22.
Maiers wasn’t the primary focus of Hempfield’s attack, but limiting her was a key component to the win.
“She’s a good player,” Madison said. “Lilly and Gabby did a nice job on her. They played with confidence and guarded her one-on-one. We want Lilly to look to score more. She has come on strong the last couple weeks.”
Shipman’s driving layup late in the fourth made it a 30-point game with a minute to play.
“Our help defense was there tonight,” Shipman said. “We’re expecting bigger things. Everyone is playing their roles.”
Julianna Bulebosh had eight points for Latrobe.