For the second consecutive year, the Juniata Valley Girls Basketball team was back in the state championship, and for the second consecutive year, the Lady Hornets came up just short. Losing to Jenkintown 51-46 in OT.
“I mean they’ve worked so hard, and we played so hard the entire game, they’ll go down as one of the best teams in #1 Juniata Valley, #2 Huntington and overall in the area and sometimes you know somebody has to lose and unfortunately it was us and it’s going to hurt for a while,” Head Coach Rachelle Hopsicker said.
After Sydney Reed knocked down two three pointers to put Juniata Valley up 9 with 3:39 left in the game, it all seemed to be over. However, Jenkintown went on an 11-2 run to close regulation including a game tying 3 from Jennifer Kremp with less than 15 seconds to go.
In overtime, the Lady Hornets twice had attempts to tie or take the lead late, but missed free throws doomed them and sent the Drakes to a state title.
“I mean it’s tough right now, but we know it’ll be ok in a couple of days,” Reed said.
“We’ve worked so hard for this and to know this was my last game playing with these girls is truly heartbreaking. I mean we’ve worked so hard and it’s heartbreaking to say the least,” Taylor Leidy said.
An emotional scene outside the Lady Hornets locker room after the game. For Reed, Leidy, and Maddie Mattas, this marked their final game in a Hornet uniform. Leidy and Reed summed up what this program has meant to them.
“My friends, my teammates, they’ve been phenomenal these past four years and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. We truly do have a special bond and I think that’s what makes us special,” Reed said.
“I mean our team is like sisters we’re all sisters to one another and like I said we love each other so much we would do anything for each other. We would take a bullet for one another, we’d run through a wall. It would’ve meant the world to win this but we just need to keep our heads up because we’ve done so much for our town and community and we still should be proud of that,” Leidy said.
“We’ve made memories to last a lifetime, they’re unforgettable I mean we’ve all been through good stuff I mean I’ve had basketball memories for years and I know we’ll relive these moments for a long time,” Hopsicker said.