Highlands had once been in Ryle’s shoes, navigating the challenges of a young roster.
But on Sunday night at Truist Arena, the tables turned as the seasoned Bluebirds took down a youthful Lady Raider squad, 67-50, in the St. Elizabeth Healthcare Ninth Region Tournament quarterfinals.
In previous years, Highlands leaned on a youthful roster, while experienced Ryle teams took care of business in making three straight region finals including ending the Bluebirds’ season the last two years. Highlands coach Jaime Richey understands the challenge of navigating such difficult transitions.
“It’s hard,” Richey said. “My junior group, including Kaylee Mills and Katie Bucher, started. Four years ago I was in Katie’s (Haitz) shoes. It’s hard, but I thought from the beginning of the year to the end, Katie did a great job, getting better each day.”
The Lady Raiders hung in early with three eighth-graders and two juniors in the starting lineup, down just four after the first quarter (17-13). However, as the game progressed, the experience and depth of the Bluebirds began to shine through.
Ryle’s eighth-grader Jayden McClain and Highlands’ senior Marissa Green was a key battle on the interior, but McClain’s two early fouls opened things up even more for the veteran Green.
RELATED: Girls All-9th Region teams
Green took full advantage. She finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, shooting an impressive 9-for-10 from the field.
“We wanted revenge,” Green said. “They ended our season last year, so we wanted to end theirs. I just had to be physical.”
Physical they were, winning the rebounding battle 41-22. Alongside Green, freshman Maren Orme added 15 points with five rebounds and three assists while Kaylee Mills contributed 11 with all three of the Bluebirds 3-pointers. Ty Berry was active off the bench, posting eight points with nine rebounds.
With the Bluebirds up 19-17 in the second quarter, they blew the game open from there, orchestrating a 30-9 run. They built the lead to a commanding 51-29 edge by the end of the third quarter.
The Lady Raiders managed to crack the door open slightly, cutting the deficit to 13 in the fourth quarter, but they could never close the gap any further.
Ryle’s season came to a close with a 9-23 record. They were led by junior Jaelyn Jones, who scored 23 points while Ava Warner contributed 12.
“I’m proud of my senior and juniors, everybody understood the difficult situation,” Lady Raider coach Katie Haitz said. “We started to see benefits. I was proud of the way they continued to fight and push hard.”
Ryle graduates just one senior, Saylor Fong.
Highlands (22-8) advances to the semifinals for the second straight season, where they will face Notre Dame Wednesday night at Truist Arena at 8 p.m.
BLUEBIRDS 67, LADY RAIDERS 50
HIGHLANDS — 17-13-21-16 — 67
RYLE — 13-6-10-21 — 50
Scoring
Highlands (67) — Green 23, Orme 15, Mills 11, Berry 8, Bucher 4, Barrett 2
Ryle (50) — Jones 23, Warner 12, McClain 5, Hampton 4, Dowell 3, Fong 3
Game Stats
Field Goals: Highlands 26/51, Ryle 19/51
3-Pointers: Highlands 3/14, Ryle 4/23
Free Throws: Highlands 12/18, Ryle 8/13
Rebounds: Highlands 41, Ryle 22
Assists: Highlands 16, Ryle 11
Turnovers: Highlands 11, Ryle 9
Steals: Highlands 4, Ryle 7
Blocks: Highlands 2, Ryle 4
Fouls: Highlands 11, Ryle 15
Records: Highlands 22-8, Ryle 9-23