The Penney High School Hornets rallied from a 42-17 halftime deficit to overtake the Trenton Bulldogs with a furious second-half surge, winning 72-63 on Thursday night to advance to the championship game of the Class 3, District 16 boys basketball tournament at Lathrop High School.
In a semifinal contest broadcast on KTTN-FM 92.3, Trenton blitzed the #2 seed Hornets early, with Lathan Croy and Spencer Harris combining for five 3-point field goals in the first quarter, with THS up 22-7 after eight minutes. While not as dominating in the second quarter, the Bulldogs were able to extend the lead with a 20-10 edge.
At the half, Penney looked deflated and defeated, as the Hornets “Big 2”, senior Jaran Richman and junior LaTroy Harper, had combined for only three points, as the Bulldogs put themselves in position for a head-to-head victory over Hamilton for the first time this season.
However, the third quarter started ominously for the Bulldogs, as Penney scored 14 straight points out of the break, cutting the lead to 11 with an obvious emphasis on increased energy level coming out of the locker room. A pair of Spencer Harris three-pointers pushed Trenton’s lead back up to 15, and for a moment, seemed to settle the Bulldogs frayed nerves. However, a second run in the quarter, led by Richman, brought the Hornets to within 56-48 at the end of a 31-point third quarter.
With Trenton continuing to deal with an inspired Penney team, along with its own foul difficulties, the Hornets continued the momentum swing in the fourth quarter, tying the game within the first two minutes of the quarter, and overtaking the tiring Bulldog team in the final minutes.
Richman had 25 points to lead Hamilton, 23 of those in the second half. Harper had 18 points, 17 in the second half. Cale Whitt contributed 12 points for the victorious Hornets, now 22-5 on the season.
Trenton, losing for the fourth time against the Hornets, this time in the cruelest of fashions, was led by Spencer Harris, who hit for 28 points in his final game in a Bulldog uniform. Fellow senior Connor Cotton had 15 points, while Lathan Croy added 12. Trenton ends the season with a mark of 18-9.
Penney, with the win, advances to the Class 3, District 16 championship game against the Maryville Spoofhounds at 3:30 on Saturday afternoon from Lathrop. The ‘Hounds opened “Semifinal Thursday” with a victory over Bishop LeBlond 64-34, improving to 22-4 on the season, while ending the Golden Eagles campaign at 9-18.
