By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The Henning Hornets had their season come to an end on Thursday with a tough 71-38 loss to the top seeded Hillcrest Lutheran Academy Comets. The loss comes on the heels of an impressive 53-47 win over Border West in the opening round of the section tournament. 

Henning finished the season with a record of 13-15 overall, and with just two seniors and one junior on the team, a bulk of the squad will be returning for not just next season but the season after that as well. The 13 wins is the most the Hornets have had since going 26-3 in the 2022-23 school year. 

Monday

Monday’s game between the 16th seeded Henning Hornets and 17th seeded Border West Buccaneers turned into a game of runs with the Hornets getting the last big push of the game to overcome a late deficit to advance to the round of 16 in the Section 6A tournament.

Henning trailed by a score of 29-26 at halftime after leading by nearly double digits for a good stretch of the opening 18 minutes of action.

“The first half had its ups and downs, with the lead changing hands at times. We struggled late in the half, but Abbi Godding hit a huge three at the buzzer before halftime to cut it to 29–26 and gave us some energy heading into the break,” said head coach Ryan Emter.

The Hornets were able to play solid defense throughout the second half to limit Border West to just 18 points in the final 18 minutes of action and forced 24 Buccaneer turnovers. Henning also knocked down eight 3-pointers and shot 37 percent from the field to give them a chance to come away with the home playoff game. 

“Midway through the second half, we found ourselves down nine and not doing things very well. Abbi Godding came off the bench again and gave us a spark, knocking down a big three to get us going. From there, it was back and forth the rest of the way,” said Emter.

Throughout the game both teams went on a number of big runs to give them the edge in what proved to be a close game both in the scoring column and on paper with each team having similar numbers from shooting percentage to rebounds and more. 

“Basketball is a game of runs, and we were able to put together an 8–0 run with three minutes left to seal the win. This was a total team effort when you look at the scoring. The girls really locked in defensively down the stretch and found the open player for some clutch buckets,” said Emter.

The first-year head coach gave a lot of credit to Border West throughout the game, but said Henning’s ability to have a home game after winning a number of close games throughout the year was a big key in their victory in the opening round of the playoffs. 

“Having a home game is huge when two teams are evenly matched. The girls earned that right by winning some tight games during the regular season. Border West presented challenges on paper, and we needed every ounce of energy the crowd gave us. It was another great turnout in the stands, and that support does not go unnoticed by our coaches or players,” said Emter. “I could go down the stats columns and point to something each of these girls did down the stretch. From every starter to every player off the bench, they all contributed in a big way. As a first-year coach, it was a great feeling to see them close out a difficult game like that and earn our first playoff win together.”

Henning was led offensively by Stella Iliff who scored 14 points, while Alivia Emter scored 13. Abbi Godding knocked down three 3-pointers to finish with nine points, while Callie Thompson scored eight, Addison Bode scored five and Lily Grieger and Bella Olson rounded out the scoring with two points apiece. 

POINTS: Callie Thompson 8, Alivia Emter 13, Lily Grieger 2, Addison Bode 5, Bella Olson 2, Abbigale Godding 9, Stella Iliff 14

ASSISTS: Callie Thompson 6, Alivia Emter 2, Lily Grieger 2, Stella Iliff 2

REBOUNDS: Callie Thompson 4, Alivia Emter 5, Lily Grieger 5, Addison Bode 1, Bella Olson 5, Abbigale Godding 2, Stella Iliff 4

STEALS: Callie Thompson 1, Alivia Emter 4, Lily Grieger 1, Addison Bode 1, Stella Iliff 1

BLOCKS: Lily Grieger 1

Thursday

Henning had its season come to an end on Thursday night when they traveled to fourth ranked and top seeded Hillcrest Lutheran Academy. The Comets jumped out to an early lead and held a 45-15 margin at halftime, before coming away with a 71-38 win over the Hornets,

“Hillcrest brings an intense defensive presence. We struggled to get anything going early and had a tough time matching up with their size. It was good for us to experience that level of playoff intensity,” said head coach Ryan Emter.   

Despite the loss, which ended Henning’s season with a record of 13-15 overall, Emter said the Hornets made big strides that will lay the groundwork for future years of Henning Hornet basketball. After winning just three games last year, and with just two seniors and one junior on the team, Emter said the team earned valuable experience both on and off the court. 

“I’m very proud of the gains we made this year and the effort our small group of girls gave over 28 games. After winning only three games last season, we won 13 this year, picked up a play-in game victory that had eluded us the past two years, and gained valuable experience against the number one team in the section tonight,” he said. 

Near the end of the game, Henning senior Monica Hansen was able to get her first taste of game action since early December after suffering a season-ending knee injury. Hansen was able to score a basket near the end of the game after Hillcrest threw the ball out of bounds to give the Hornets an extra possession. 

“I also want to recognize our two senior captains, Issabelle Godding and Monica Hansen, for their hard work and commitment to our program. A very special basketball moment came at the end of the game. Monica suffered a season-ending injury just two games into the year, and we were able to put her out there to be recognized. Hillcrest, being the class act program they are, intentionally threw the ball out of bounds to give her an opportunity to score. She did just that and was overcome with emotion. It was a very special moment for our team, and we are thankful to them for that gesture as they played extremely well and earned the win,” said Emter. 

The Hornets were led offensively by Addison Bode and Alivia Emter who each scored nine points, while Callie Thompson scored seven, Abbi Godding scored six, Lily Grieger scored three and Hansen and Iliff each scored two. 

As the season came to a close, Emter gave a lot of credit to the Henning team, the community and fans who supported the Hornets throughout the season.

“It was a very special first season, and I want to again thank our great community and all of our supporters for being behind us every step of the way. We finished with a hard fought 13–15 record and went 8–3 in games decided by 10 points or fewer. We battled to close the gap with some of the best teams in our area and continued to grow throughout the year.  We rode a couple Hart Charter buses, played in front of big crowds, enjoyed team meals and cranked music at practices, and most of all just let it fly and had a lot of fun together,” he said. 

POINTS: Callie Thompson 7, Alivia Emter 9, Monica Hansen 2, Lily Grieger 3, Addison Bode 9, Abbigale Godding 6, Stella Iliff 2

ASSISTS: Callie Thompson 1, Alivia Emter 1, Lily Grieger 1, Addison Bode 2, Abbigale Godding 2

REBOUNDS: Callie Thompson 4, Alivia Emter 1, Lily Grieger 1, Addison Bode 6, Bella Olson 1, Abbigale Godding 4, Stella Iliff 2

STEALS: Callie Thompson 1, Addison Bode 1, Stella Iliff 1

BLOCKS: Callie Thompson 1, Alivia Emter 1, Stella Iliff 1