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HUGHESVILLE--Grace Pysher has played stifling defense since she first picked up a basketball. But what is making her an especially versatile threat these days came shining through at the perfect time Saturday afternoon.
Alli Anstadt kicked a pass back toward Pysher who had worked herself open on the right wing, behind the 3-point line. Pysher took two dribbles, launched a 3-pointer and drilled it. That clutch shot put Hughesville ahead to stay, ignited a strong game-ending run and helped the Spartans defeat Mifflinburg, 36-31.
Pysher played outstanding defense and limited Mifflinburg dynamic guard Ella Shuck to just one fourth-quarter shot. But she also scored eight points, drained two timely 3-pointers and showed just how much her game is expanding.
"Defense has always kind of been my No. 1 thing and offense I’ve kind of had to build on and build on. Coach has been trying to get me to be more offensive this year," Pysher said. "My coaches try to tell me and everyone on the team to step into every shot with confidence. It felt good to knock that one down for sure."
Pysher’s 3-pointer was just what Hughesville (9-9) needed. The Spartans went on a 15-0 run bridging the first and second quarters and led 15-1 a minute into the second. Mifflinburg, however, rallied and the lead changed hands four times in the second half. Jenna Haines had just scored inside to put Mifflinburg up two when Pysher let fly her game-changing shot.
Hughesville closed the game on an 8-1 run, not allowing another field goal and holding Mifflinburg scoreless for more than three minutes at one point. Anstadt and Ava Snyder sealed the win with three free throws in the final 16.2 seconds. Pysher made three of five shots Saturday and her first 3-pointer stopped a 10-0 Mifflinburg second-quarter flurry.
"Grace’s big development this year is her shooting. She’s looking to it," Hughesville coach Ryan Callahan said. "I told her I hasn’t seen her shoot a three after dribbling all year. She caught it at 24 feet, dribbled in and it was pure. It was big."
So was Pysher’s defense.
Shuck is on of District 4’s leading scorers and she made an impact again Saturday, scoring a game-high 15 points. Shuck made her last five shots, including four 3-pointers, but the problem for her was putting those shots up.
Different girls took turns on Shuck, including Breanna Bobak who was effective as well. After Shuck hit an early fourth-quarter 3-pointer which tied the game, however, Pysher stuck to her like glue. Shuck did not shoot again and, as a result, the entire Mifflinburg offense stalled.
Pysher is an elite help-side defender, and a few times did what normally is required and left the player she was defending to help out. The game plan Saturday was different, though, and with Pysher all over Shuck, Mifflinburg scored just three points in the final five minutes.
"After she hit a few shots he said focus more, stay on her, don’t let her catch it and square up and shoot," Pysher said. "When we kind of changed that it led to making her life pretty tough and she wasn’t able to get as many open shots."
Early on it looked like Hughesville’s offense was right with its defense and that the Spartans might cruise to victory. Starters and reserves were all making big impacts in the first nine minutes as Hughesville went up 15-1.
Just as quickly, though, Mifflinburg countered with a 10-0 run and the game was close the rest of the way. Still, a team with no seniors never buckled and quickly answered each time Mifflinburg took a second-half lead. That included when reserve Sara Stroup hit a 3-pointer and put Hughesville up 25-23 with two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
"It’s a team effort all around. If we get down, we know we have to work together to get it back up," Pysher said. "We had that 15-1 stretch and we kind of settled in thinking we’re up big and they came back and got us. We just had to lock in."
"Sara Stroup gave us nice energy off the bench in the second half," Callahan said. "I thought we were a little loosey goosey and not locked in. Sara came in with 3-4 minutes of aggressive defense and helped us there."
Following Pysher’s go-ahead 3-pointer, the junior forward grabbed a rebound and found a streaking Anstadt for a layup which made it 33-30. Anstadt hit the front end of a 1-and-1 with 16.2 seconds left and made it a 3-point game. Snyder then snuffed out Mifflinburg’s hopes of tying the game and made a steal.
Snyder (three steals) immediately was fouled and calmly made both ends of a 1-and-1 with 5.7 seconds remaining, clinching the win. Anstadt nearly produced another double-double, scoring 12 points, grabbing nine rebounds and adding three assists. Bobak also dealt three assists, Hailey Poust hit two key jumpers and Kayleigh Rooker was part of a strong bench during the first quarter when Hughesville scored the final 13 points.
"It wasn’t our best win, but it’s a win and that’s the important thing," Callahan said. "We found a way."
MIFFLINBURG (31)
Ella Shuck 5 1-2 15, Jenna Hains 1 0-0 2, Avery Metzger 0 0-0 0, Marissa Allen 0 0-0 0, Meg Shively 2 1-2 6, Elizabeth Sheesley 3 1-2 8. Totals 11 3-6 31.
HUGHESVILLE (36)
Alli Anstadt 4 4-5 12, Breanna Bobak 1 1-2 3, Ava Snyder 1 2-4 4, Grace Pysher 3 0-0 8, Hailey Poust 2 0-0 4, Sara Stroup 2 0-0 5, Kayleigh Rooker 0 0-0 0, Hailey Sherwood 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 7-11 36.
Mifflinburg 1 10 14 6--31
Hughesville 13 5 8 10--36
3-pointers: Mifflinburg 6 (Shuck 4, Shiveley, Sheesley); Hughesville 3 (Pysher 2, Stroup).
Records: Hughesville 9-9.