But what fabulous work they put in Friday night at Ron Insinger Gymnasium. What resilience the Spartans displayed. Sports are made of moments and Hughesville seized one which had eluded its program since 2017.

Vivian Draper dominated the fourth quarter, Maddie Smith scored 14 points and Kylie Temple and Kendall Hamm combined for nine steals as Hughesville rallied from a 15-point second quarter deficit and defeated defending Class AAA state champion Loyalsock, 48-38. Although the Spartans (10-1, 3-0 HAC-III) defeated Loyalsock for the district title two years ago, they won the program’s first regular season against it since January 12, 2017, a span which stretched 17 games.

“I feel like you always have to have that feeling that you’re going to go out there and play your best, but also you never know how they’re going to fight us next time because they’re a great team, Hamm said after scoring seven points, dealing four assists and making four steals. “I just think we prepared so well this time, so to finally win here and play our game and work as a team is a great feeling.”

A rematch of the last two district championships which these rivals have split had this initial 2026 encounter circled for a while, not just by the teams, but high school basketball fans. Again, neither one disappointed as Hughesville and Loyalsock battled like two prize fighters.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Kylie Temple (3) brings the ball past Loyalsock's Jaekairah Harden (22) during a girls high school basketball game at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

Early, however, it appeared Loyalsock (7-4, 2-1) might land a fast knockout. The Lancers played one of their best quarters this season, dominated the opening eight minutes and led 20-5 entering the second.

Winning 57 games these past three seasons, Hughesville long ago proved it an excellent basketball team. Friday, the Spartans reminded all just how tough they are, too.

“Our coaches always just say fight till the game is over. They tell us to keep picking away to get where we want to be,” Draper said after scoring 13 points and grabbing seven rebounds. “The first quarter, we were a little quiet. The second quarter we started really amping it up. Even on the bench, we were trying to transfer that energy out there on the court and it really showed.”

Hughesville flipped the script in the second quarter and owned those next eight minutes, going on an 18-5 run and cutting the deficit to two at halftime. Allyssa King then hit a runner with 10 seconds remaining in the third, putting the Spartans up, 38-37 and they never trailed again.

Hughesville allowed just one fourth quarter point, no fourth quarter field goals and outscored Loyalsock, 43-18 over the final three quarters.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Alaina Dadzie (30) and Jaekairah Harden (22) try to control a rebound during a girls high school basketball game against Hughesville at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

“They’re a tough team. We knew that. Any time you play Loyalsock it’s going to be tough. They were aggressive right from the start and, luckily, we were able to settle in and take care of business,” Hughesville coach Dustin King said. “Every girl did something good to help the team. If they didn’t start out good, they finished well. We harp on that. If things aren’t going your way, just stay with it and they just played together so well.”

They sure did. Allyssa King made three steals, Anna Easton pulled down five rebounds and freshman Casey Schultz provided huge minutes off the bench when Draper was in foul trouble, scoring the fourth quarter’s basket and putting Hughesville up, 40-37. It was not one or two players doing the lifting but all the Spartans together.

That is how they have won 10 straight games. It was one part swarming defense, one part better offensive execution and a whole lot of chemistry and intensity rolled into an impressive comeback package.

“I feel like our dynamic as a team is that we’re so close,” Hamm said. “If one person makes a good play, other people are going to feed off their energy. That’s how we get going. It showed perfectly out there tonight.”

Temple provided a spark when she made two quick steals in the second quarter’s opening minute and the Spartans rattled off seven points in 90 seconds. Hamm fanned the flames when she drained two 3-pointers, the second making it, 24-20. The junior point guard had four assists that quarter, and found Smith for a late 3-point play which had Hughesville within 25-23 at halftime.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Maddie Smith (10) and Loyalsock's Addison Barowy (24) try for control of a loos ball during a girls high school basketball game at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

“I couldn’t do it without everyone else,” Hamm said, “My teammates were doing a great job feeding me the ball and the energy on the bench was great.”

“Kendall’s 3s are always so vital,” Draper said. “Every time she hits a 3, the whole team changes their energy. It’s amazing.”

Alaina Dadzie scored 15 points and pulled down eight rebounds for Loyalsock, but Hughesville did a super job limiting her touches over the final three quarters. Driving that home, it did not let Dadzie attempt a fourth quarter shot and limited her to five shots over the final three quarters.

Madison Perry played an excellent all-around game and had 11 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Jaekairah Harden added eight points and nine rebounds. But once the Lancers struggled to generate the transition offense which shredded Hughesville in first quarter going again, they fell into hard times. They did not score their first fourth quarter point until Addie Bastian’s free throw made it, 48-38 with less than two minutes remaining.

“The second half thought we were stagnant. We didn’t execute some of our stuff. We talked about having to do a few things during halftime and timeouts and we didn’t do them,” Loyalsock coach Curtis Jacobson said. “We’ll watch film and figure out why, but we didn’t do what we were trying to accomplish. We have to learn from it and find a way to string better possessions together.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Jaekairah Harden (22) tries to gain control of the ball during a girls high school basketball game against Hughesville at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

Loyalsock could not have started the game much better, making nine of 13 shots and building that 20-5 advantage. Harden scored all eight of her points during that time and Perry had five points with three assists. Those Temple steals to open the second quarter started changing the momentum and Loyalsock was unable to stop the snowball effect. Draper then helped it become an avalanche during a brilliant fourth quarter.

The senior forward picked up her fourth foul late in the third quarter but played smart while still furiously from there. She scored the team’s final seven points, getting five of them (when adding in a foul shot) off offensive putbacks. That three-point play made it, 44-37 and Draper pushed the lead to nine with another offensive rebound and score before sealing victory by scoring off a perfect Easton pass.

“I was not having a great shooting night but I know I have to do my part even when the shots aren’t falling,” Draper said. “Then the shots did start hitting and that’s what really helped because I started getting my confidence back and started boxing out better.”

Allowing those second-chance opportunities hurt, but Loyalsock also understands it has time to fix things which went wrong Friday. Loyalsock regrouped the last time Hughesville defeated it in the district final and made a state Final 4 run. Time will tell what happens, but these rivals meet again Jan. 28 in Hughesville and it’s all about improving for both teams.

“I reminded our girls many times on the bench and after the game that’s it’s January 9th,” Jacobson said. “It’s very easy to forget that it’s January 9th. We competed fine and there are a lot of things we can learn from this and grow from and get better at.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Jaekairah Harden (22) brings a rebound out of the paint during a girls high school basketball game against Hughesville at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

Hughesville is taking a similar approach going forward. For a team which has won three state tournament games the past two seasons, it understands it must keep pushing forward. Still, the season is long and games like Friday’s offer moments to savor–until the next challenge.

“We wanted to win, obviously, but it’s just one game. We have so many more to go and who knows how many times we’ll see this team,” Dustin King said. “We just have to stay locked in. I told them celebrate tonight; celebrate tomorrow but then be ready and be locked in for next week because we have a busy week ahead.”

Hughesville 48, Loyalsock 38

HUGHESVILLE (48)

Maddie Smith 5 4-4 14, Vivian Draper 5 3-7 13, Kendall Hamm 3 1-2 7, Anna Easton 0 0-0 0, Allyssa King 2 0-0 4, Kylie Temple 4 0-0 8, Tori Morgan 0 0-0 0, Casey Schultz 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 8-13 48.

LOYALSOCK (38)

Alaina Dadzie 6 3-4 15, Jaekairah Harden 4 0-0 8, Madison Perry 4 3-4 11, Maddie Wertz 1 1-2 3, Addie Bastian 0 1-2 1, Addy Barowy 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 8-12 38.

Hughesville 5 18 15 10–48

Loyalsock 20 5 12 1–38

3-point goals: Hughesville 2 (Hamm 2).

Records: Hughesville (10-1, 3-0 HAC-III), Loyalsock (7-4, 2-1).

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Madison Perry (0) tries to gain control of a loose ball during a girls high school basketball game against Hughesville at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Madison Wertz (24) tries to get past Hughesville's defense during a girls high school basketball game at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Madison Perry (0) tries to get past Hughesville's Kendall Hamm (12) during a girls high school basketball game at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Alaina Dadzie (30) looks to shoot around Hughesville's Anna Easton (33) and Vivian Draper (34) during a girls high school basketball game at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Jaekairah Harden (22) looks for a shot during a girls high school basketball game against Hughesville at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Maddie Smith (10) lines up a shot past Loyalsock's Madison Wertz (34) during a girls high school basketball game at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Kylie Temple (3) looks to pass around Loyalsock's Madison Perry (0) during a girls high school basketball game at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Kendall Hamm (12) tries to get past Loyalsock's Addie Bastian (15) and Jaekairah Harden (22)during a girls high school basketball game at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Maddie Smith (10) brings the ball past Loyalsock's Jaekairah Harden (22) during a girls high school basketball game at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Maddie Smith (10) brings the ball past Loyalsock's Jaekairah Harden (22) during a girls high school basketball game at Loyalsock on Friday. Hughesville won 48-38