EATON — It was a rough week for Eaton’s girls’ basketball team — on and off the court.
On the court, the Eagles dropped a pair league games and suffered some key injuries.
Off the court, several players mourned the loss of a friend who attended National Trail, who died in a car crash the previous weekend.
On Thursday, Jan. 12, Eaton lost to Monroe 57-28 and on Saturday lost at Oakwood 47-39.
“During the week we lost several players to injury and, along with so many others in the community, the team mourned the loss of Eaton teenager, Olivia Wallace, who died in a car accident last Saturday afternoon,” Eaton coach Dave Honhart said. “Several of our players were close with her and there’s no doubt it took an emotional toll.”
“That being said, Monroe played outstanding basketball on Thursday. They shot over 50 percent, including 5 of 7 on three-pointers while playing suffocating defense. They certainly looked the part of a team that now stands at 12-2,” Honhart added.
Sophomore Emily Dungan led Eaton with 14 points while junior Bailee Worley tallied four assists.
Against Oakwood, the Eagles were down three key players.
“On Saturday at Oakwood, we played without Emily Dungan, (sophomore) Becca Mowen and (senior) Megan Lipps, who were all out with injuries. That meant we were playing without two of our three leading scorers and our top two rebounders. While everyone played hard, not surprisingly in the first half we seemed very out of sync and finished the half trailing 22-6,” Honhart said. “In the second half we found our rhythm and cut a 22-point lead down to eight, but the comeback effort fell short when we ran out of time.”
Honhart said he was happy with his team’s effort despite being short-handed.
“I was very pleased with the second half. Everyone stepped up and we had lots of momentum in the final moments. It’s on me to figure out how to get us to perform this way all the time. We also gained invaluable experience for several of our younger players,” he said.
Freshman Bailey Shepherd led a balanced scoring attack with eight points on 4-of-9 shooting and five rebounds.
Freshman Ashley Early had six points on 3-of-5 shooting to go with seven rebounds. Combined, the two freshmen only turned the ball over once.
Sophomore Ashlynn Black led the team in rebounding with eight, including seven defensive boards and scored seven points.
“I thought Ashlynn had one of her most complete games of the season,” Honhart said. “I”m hoping to inspire her to put extra time and effort into developing her skills because I think she can become a special shooter and overall player.”
Annika Gels had seven points and six rebounds, while Bailee Worley had six points and five assists.
Eaton (5-9, 2-5 SWBL) was scheduled to host Valley View on Thursday, Jan. 19.
On Saturday, the Eagles are scheduled to host Brookville in a Pink Game. Money is being raised to donate to the Pink Ribbon Girls for breast cancer research. Both teams have a parent of players who is fighting breast cancer. Fans are encouraged to attend, donate and wear pink.
The junior varsity game is scheduled for a noon tip, with the varsity following at approximately 1:15 p.m.
