Girls basketball: Vermilion rolls to non-conference win over Clearview

SHEFFIELD — Vermilion showcased its defense against Clearview in a non-conference game Monday night, forcing 31 turnovers and converting them into 28 points in a 57-37 victory. It was the first win of the season for the Sailors. The night started innocently enough with Clearview's Haley Hjerpe scoring five seconds into the game and nailing a 3-pointer for a 5-4 lead barely a minute into the game. Hjerpe finished with a game-high 19 points, including three 3-pointers. That's when Vermilion's defense kicked into gear, forcing eight turnovers down the stretch, as the Sailors finished the first eight minutes of the game on a 21-1 run. Sophomore Abby Gawry scored nine of her team-high 16 points over the span, while senior Camrin Lowder and junior Claire Bartlome each netted six as Vermilion ended the first quarter leading 25-6. "We had a good practice after losing to Amherst (47-20) and knew what we had to do defensively tonight," said Gawry, who also had seven rebounds and three steals. "We just have to keep moving fast (on defense) and not be lazy. We just have to keep pushing." The Sailors kept pushing in the second quarter as Maria Reyna nailed a 3-pointer and Lowder scored on a putback on a 21-0 run for a commanding 30-6 lead. Annie Green ended the run by splitting a pair of free throws, and the Clippers' nearly 10-minute stretch without a field goal ended when Hjerpe put back a missed shot with 5:12 left in the first half. "That was fun, we are really, really concentrating on defense this year," said Vermilion coach Doug Mihalic. "We were able to force some turnovers and capitalize on those turnovers. "We got the turnovers, got the ball up ahead, we got in the right lanes, made our layups and stepped into threes instead of taking tough ones. It was good to see us moving around." After the huge run, Clearview (0-1), which only has seven players listed on the varsity roster, settled down and played even with the Sailors through the second quarter, trailing 44-19 at the half. The Clippers' defense kept the Sailors out of double digits in the third quarter, only allowing eight points despite losing starter Mo'Faith Tillman on a bizarre double-technical foul call. As the Sailors were bringing the ball up the floor leading 51-27 with a couple minutes left in the period, Tillman was whistled for a "disconcertion" technical and received a second drawing an ejection that left the Clippers with only six players. Clearview kept battling and outscored the Sailors 18-13 in the final two quarters with Hjerpe scoring all eight of her team's points in the fourth. "You can't start out a game like that in the first quarter-and-a-half and have 18 turnovers and expect to win that ballgame," Clearview coach Nick Dimacchia said. "We played a lot better at the end of the second quarter and in the second half. "We're still trying to figure it out with short numbers, we're gonna get there. I felt like we made some progress throughout the course of the game. I think we're gonna get better over the course of the year." Contact James Brady at 329-7135 or jbrady_ct@yahoo.com. VERMILION 57, CLEARVIEW 37 VERMILION (57): Camrin Lowder 6-1-13, Leighla Peak 0-0-0, Autumn Rupel 0-0-0, Grace Neely 0-0-0, Abby Gawry 7-0-16, Joscelyn Alvarado 4-3-12, Maria Reyna 1-0-3, Faith Sergeant 0-0-0, Claire Bartlome 3-7-13, Abi Rhoades 0-0-0, Sofia Schaffer 0-0-0, Myla Fox 0-0-0. Totals 21-11-57. CLEARVIEW (37): Alexia Rodriguez 0-2-2, Mo'Faith Tillman 1-0-3, Annie Green 2-2-6, Neveah Berrios 1-0-3, Haley Hjerpe 8-0-19, Adrianna Comley 0-2-2, Laila Penny 0-0-0, Reina Ramos 1-0-2. Totals 13-6-37. Vermilion 25 19 9 4 — 57 Clearview 6 13 10 8 — 37 Three-point goals: Vermilion 4-18 (22 percent, Gawry 2, Alvarado, Reyna), Clearview 5-19 (26 percent, Hjerpe 3, Tillman, Berrios). Field goals: Vermilion 21-54 (39 percent); Clearview 13-41 (32 percent). Free throws: Vermilion 11-25 (44 percent); Clearview 6-13 (46 percent). Rebounds: Vermilion 38, Clearview 36. Turnovers: Vermilion 19, Clearview 31. Fouled Out: Tillman, Green JV – Vermilion, 35-23