Just as stunning as Wayland’s come from behind win over tourney favorite Otsego was a horrible collapse of the O-K Silver Conference champion Hopkins girls in a 59-45 upset at the hands of Allegan Wednesday.
The Lady Vikings were outgunned 21-6 in the final eight minutes and they actually led by 11 points, 34-23, with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. What followed was perhaps the ugliest basketball they’ve played in an otherwise terrific season.
Hopkins in the last 13 minutes of the ballgame was outscored by Allegan by a whopping 36 to 11.
The Lady Vikings shot out to a 17-8 advantage at the close of the first period, blessed by an amazing varsity debut performance by freshman Olivia Sebright, in which she nailed a three and contributed seven points off the bench. It was sorely needed because Hopkins was missing starting senior forward Mikayla Bulich with a knee injury.
But a three by senior Antonette Ware and some accurate free throw shooting by sophomore guard Allison Bishop helped the Tigers to climb back into the fray and tie the count at 22-all and scoring 13 straight unanswered points. Somehow, Allegan was outrebounding Hopkins, despite virtually no differences in height. And somehow Hopkins was turning the ball ball over at an alarming rate with errant passes.
Up stepped senior guard Brandalyn Helderop, who swished two consecutive threes to take the Lady Vikings to a 28-22 lead at intermission.
Senior center Meghan Schulz, Hopkins’ major force under the basket, picked up her third foul early in the third quarter and was retired to the sidelines. But she took a nifty pass from Helderop three minutes into the second half in a press break and she and her mates were up by 11, 34-23.
It would be difficult to characterize what happened for the Lady Vikings the rest of the way in any way other than just plain awful. Bishop continued her scoring assault with threes, layups and free throws and by the time the fourth period had begun Hopkins was clinging to a 39-38 lead.
Then things went from bad to even worse. The Lady Vikings continued to fail under the boards for rebounds, with turnovers and at the free throw line.
Bishop ended the night with 31 points. Schulz fouled out with 16 points. Brandalyn Helderop and the freshman Sebright both counted nine points.
But ringleader-quarterback junior point guard Kennedy Helderop was limited to just four points and was somehow neutralized all evening.
The Lady Vikings’ disappointing end to the season belied its best hoops season in quite a spell, a 14-7 record and their first conference championship in 17 years.
COVER PHOTO: Kennedy Helderop