Surviving a mid-game hiccup, Polk County rallied to handily defeat Hendersonville, 51-37, in women’s varsity basketball at Columbus on Friday, Jan. 15. Polk’s women, now 7-8 overall, and 2-3 in Western Highlands Conference play, host WHC rival Madison this Tuesday evening. Game time is set for 6:30.

Though the Wolverines slumped in the second quarter (where the Bearcats outscored them 12-5), the best that Hendersonville could manage was a 16-16 half-time tie.

After that, the Wolverines played more deliberate offense and grabbed more rebounds, essentially playing their own game.

“We did not score a field goal in the second quarter,” Polk Head Coach Brandy Alm observed. With their leading scorer (Autumn Owen, with 22 points) in foul trouble, “the girls stepped up,” Alm remarked. “(The Bearcats’) Number twenty-one (Tiara Gary) had been killing us,” Alm pointed out, stressing that Polk’s “making adjustments on defense held Gary to two points in the fourth quarter.”

On one occasion, a Bearcat player made heavy contact with Polk senior standout Hayley Kropp while Kropp had the ball, without officials calling a foul, and on an earlier occasion that game, Kropp was called for a foul where little or no contact was made.

“Their (Wolverines’) effort  . . . in the second half was the changing point in the game,” Alm continued. “It was basically taking control of the game.” The Wolverines played much as they did in the first period, after which they led 11-4.

Indeed, almost as though someone threw a switch, Polk play seemed to intensify – with players grabbing more rebounds, making more steals and more rebounds, especially defensive rebounds. The Wolverines turned the 16-16 half-time tie into their 33-29 advantage after three quarters, and outscored the Bearcats, 18-8, in the final period to win by 14.

In that lopsided fourth quarter that began with Polk holding a four-point lead, scoring by Owen, Bella Marino, and Kendall Hall (five rebounds) opened Polk’s lead to 42-31. With about 2:20 left in the game, Kropp’s three-pointer basically decided the outcome, making the score 47-32.

Kropp also brought down 15 rebounds and contributed six assists and four steals. Ansley Lynch grabbed six rebounds for Polk, with Mariah Overholt and Owen collaring four apiece.