ARGYLE — Down by one with 50 seconds left in the game, Hailey Wellnitz tuned everyone and everything out to drain what proved to be the game-winning 3-pointer for the Warriors. Black Hawk, a top team in the Six Rivers East Conference, avoided an upset from underdog Argyle by a score of 48-43.
“It was nice, especially since I was struggling to shoot first and second half,” Hailey Wellnitz said of her 3-pointer. “I started getting momentum, and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to win this game.’”
The matchup featured a sibling rivalry, as Jen Wellnitz coached Argyle while her sisters Tara and Hailey played for Black Hawk.
“I always hated it,” Jen Wellnitz said of going against her sisters. “You always want your family to do best — you’re a little selfless that way. I think they are the same way for me, so it’s hard. You just have to accept the fact that one wins.”
The Warriors jumped out to a 15-0 lead with six points from Maddy Lange. Raylin Peterson and Jaliyah Collins chipped in four and three respectively, despite Jen Wellnitz telling her team that the duo wasn’t allowed to touch the ball.
“That was the goal from the get go,” Jen Wellnitz said of the defensive strategy. “If they don’t have an inside presence, then they can’t get those offensive, second-chance rebounds. That’s going to help us. If they hit shots from the outside, so be it.”
Argyle scored its first points of the game nearly eight minutes in with a 3-pointer from Lexi Wonders. After another basket from Peterson, Wonders hit another three. With a pair of free throws from Jaylin Hartwig and Wonders’ third three of the game, the Orioles closed within eight.
Out of a Warrior timeout, Peterson took action. She fought through contact for a basket and, on the defensive end, took a charge from Hartwig. Hailey Wellnitz then sent Hartwig to the charity stripe, though, where Hartwig went 2-for-2.
Black Hawk had the last possession of the half, as Kendra Haldiman put up a shot at halfcourt with three seconds. Her shot fell short but into the hands of Hailey Wellnitz, who had enough time left to score on a reverse layup.
Although the Warriors scored first in the second half to take a 25-13 lead, their fouls began to pile up. Peterson picked up her third foul on a made basket by Hartwig. Haldiman’s second foul came on a basket from Hartwig, too. This time, Hartwig completed the 3-point play at the free-throw line.
The Orioles then went on a 10-point run with baskets from Hannah Gierhart and Wonders, followed by back-to-back 3-pointers by Sadie Steiner. Haldiman silenced the run with her own 3-pointer, followed by a basket from Peterson.
After an Oriole timeout, Hartwig drove to the basket, scored and drew Hailey Wellnitz’s third foul. Hartwig finished at the free-throw line to put Argyle within four. On the defensive end, though, Hartwig committed her fourth foul with seven minutes left in the game. As the leading scorer, Hartwig remained in the game and had to play conservatively the rest of the way.
Hailey Wellnitz extended Black Hawk’s lead back to seven with a 3-pointer, but Argyle went on another nine-point run to take a 40-38 lead with 2:40 left to play.
Hartwig grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in for two points. Gierhart then went to the free-throw line for another point. Mya McNett scored three points with a steal on the defensive end that turned into two points, followed by a free throw. Hartwig capped the run with a 3-pointer.
Hailey Wellnitz tied the game at 40 with a bucket, assisted by Peterson. Sadie Steiner reclaimed the lead for Argyle with a 3-pointer and 1:50 remaining. Maddy Lange had the opportunity to tie the game, as she was fouled while making a basket. She missed the subsequent free throw though.
With just over a minute left, Haldiman picked up her third foul, sending Hartwig to the line for bonus. Hartwig missed, setting the stage for Hailey Wellnitz’s game-winning three.
“I like to chirp them. I was in Hailey’s ear the whole time. I kept telling her, shoot the ball. Then she beat us on that basically game-winning three,” Jen Wellnitz said. “I’m really proud of her. She’s really stepped up now that Tara is out.”
“The whole game she was chirping,” Hailey Wellniz said. “I would stand out on the three-point line and she would say shoot, shoot! She got in my head during the first half, but in the second half I zoned her out. I said to myself, I’m going to shoot and it’s going to fall.”
Argyle was forced to foul in the remaining 50 seconds, sending the Warriors to the line. Peterson and Haldiman came up clutch, going a combined 3-for-4 from the charity stripe for the win.
Despite being heavily guarded the entire game, Peterson still managed to score a team-leading 16 points. Hailey Wellnitz followed with 10, including two of the Warrior’s five 3-pointers. The others came from Peterson, Haldiman and Veronica Cheatham.
Hartwig was the highest scorer amongst both teams with 17 points, going 6-for-8 from the free-throw line. Wonders also scored in double figures with 11 points. All but one of her baskets were made from beyond the arc. Steiner also tallied three 3-pointers.
“We’ve had some pretty bad losses, so I’m hoping that this will awaken something in us,” Jen Wellnitz said of her team’s performance. “The bench was involved, the girls were involved, the fans were in it. That’s the kind of atmosphere you want to play in. If we play like we played tonight, we are looking at a decent spot in conference.”
