Hennessey girls in area for first time in 11 years

One sports cliché is that it’s not how you start, but how you finish.

The Hennessey girls basketball team started the season with a 1-4 record.

The Lady Eagles are finishing strong.

They responded from last Thursday’s 23-point loss to Alva to claim backto- back wins and play themselves into this week’s area tournament.

Hennessey eliminated Millwood 61-38 on Friday, then claimed a 3A regional consolation championship Saturday afternoon with a 45-34 victory over Oklahoma Christian School.

Hennessey will play Heritage Hall at 1 p.m. Thursday in Kellyville in an area consolation quarterfi nal.

Emma Copeland and Katie Kennedy combined for 30 points in Saturday’s victory at the Eagle Event Center.

They led Hennessey to a 20-18 halftime lead, then scored six of the team’s points in a third quarter that saw the Lady Eagles outscore OCS 8-3.

Then in the fourth, the duo combined to go 11 of 14 from the free throw line to seal the trip to area.

Copeland made all eight of her attempts in the fourth and led the team with 16 points.

Kennedy scored 14. Against Millwood, it was Kennedy and Clare Munroe doing much of the offensive damage.

Kennedy nailed three first-half 3-pointers as the Lady Eagles got out to a 28-17 lead.

Munroe then scored seven and Kennedy six more in the third as Hennessey extended its lead to 17 points with a 21-point outburst.

The Lady Eagle defense then limited Millwood to just five points in the fourth quarter.

Munroe scored 18 points in the win while Kennedy finished with 15.

Ally Painter chipped in nine.

The 61 points ties for the most Hennessey scored this season. The other was Jan. 14 at Watonga in a game that went into overtime.

The Lady Eagles are making their first trip to area since 2014.

They will enter the tournament with a 20-9 record.