RANDY HISNER
WZBD.com
Adams Central senior Kate Fisher scored 23 points and broke the school career record for three-pointers as she led the Jets to an easy 55-24 ACAC win over the Heritage Patriots Friday at the Hangar.
The win lifted the Jets’ record to 7-8 on the season and 3-3 in the ACAC.
Fisher’s three from the left corner at the 3:55 mark of the second period was the 133rd of her career, breaking the old mark by 2021 grad McKenna Dietsch.
It was an important shot in the game too. The Patriots (5-10, 0-4 in the ACAC) had just gone on an 8-0 run to get themselves back in the game after trailing 20-2 early in the quarter. Fisher’s three stopped the run, put her team back up by 13 at 23-10, and ignited a 13-2 Jet rally that gave them a commanding 33-12 lead at the half.
She had a lot to do with the Jets’ quick start to the game as well. After Ava Stafford opened with a jumper just inside the arc and Izzy Isch followed with a bucket on the left block, Fisher scored seven straight points to give the Jets an 11-0 lead over the shell-shocked Patriots less than two minutes into the game.
The Pats finally got on the scoreboard with Elise Hissong’s free throw with 5:50 to go. They managed only one other point, on a free throw by Kierstyn Hess, the rest of the quarter as the Jets led 18-2 at the first stop. Fisher scored nine points in the second quarter, including the record-setting three, to help the Jets to a 15-10 advantage. Freshman Elaine Bickel led the Pats’ offense in the quarter with six points on a pair of threes.
The Jets’ lockdown defense fit right into coach Tim Hildebrand’s plan. “Coming into the game, we knew we wanted to put some pressure on their ball handlers and try to make it difficult on them to just take care of the ball,” Hildebrand said. “I couldn’t have asked for it to go better than it did.”
The Jets’ full-court 2-2-1 press forced the Pats into eight first-quarter turnovers. Hildebrand liked how the Jets converted those turnovers into easy baskets. That hasn’t always been the case this season. “Early on, we weren’t quite there yet,” he said. “We’d get turnovers and then we would turn it over right back to them or we just wouldn’t convert it into points. They’ve been working and growing this season, and I feel like tonight they really did a good job of converting those turnovers into points on the other end.”
Fisher contributed five points to a 9-0 Adams Central run to start the third quarter and put the game out of reach at 42-12. The Jets kept the gas pedal down, outscoring Heritage 6-3 the rest of the period to increase their lead to 48-15. When Hildebrand cleared his bench early in the fourth quarter, the Patriots were able to take a 9-7 edge to produce the final score.
Hildebrand had lots of praise for the record-setting Fisher. “Amazing shooter,” he said. “She’s got a very pretty shot. It’s as fundamentally sound as you can find.”
“What I’m really proud of this year,” he added, “is she has become a much more rounded player. You see her driving to the basket a lot more. She’s leading the team in rebounds. She’s just gotten to be a lot grittier of a player. And it really, I think, has helped to give her more open looks. Just a great kid to have on the team, and a great leader for us.”
Fisher gave credit to others for their part in the record. “I’ve just had coaches and teammates who have pushed me my whole entire high school career,” she said. “They’ll stay after practice; they’ll shoot with me; they’ll rebound with me. It’s just repetition of shooting, and a quick mind, getting over a missed shot, and it’s just really hard work and dedication.”
Scorers for Adams Central: Fisher 23; Stafford 12; Demi Landis 6; Tenley Hendricks 5; Lydia Hummel 3; Lila Ringger, Jillian Brotherton, Izzy Isch 2.
Heritage: Elaine Bickel 14; Kierstyn Hess 3; Audrey Meyer, Addison Meyer, Olivia Lybarger 2; Hissong 1.
Shooting stats:
Adams Central:18-33 on twos (55%); 3-14 on threes (21%); 10-21 on free throws (48%).
Heritage: 4-23 on twos (17%); 4-24 on threes (17%); 4-8 on free throws (50%).
Turnovers: Adams Central 14, Heritage 16.
Heritage won an abbreviated JV game (two quarters plus an overtime), 20-19. Molly Krey scored eight and Audrey Meyer seven to lead the Patriots. Adia Hildebrand led the Jets with six. Ali Hamilton added five.
Adams Central and Heritage will have a quick rematch in the first round of the ACAC tournament next Tuesday at Heritage. Game time is 6:00 P.M.
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