January 6, 2022 – Hartford, WI – Hartford travelled to Port Washington for a North Shore Conference match that was dominated by the Orioles straight out of the gate with an 18-0 run.
The Pirates were unable to get on the board until just under eight minutes had passed in the first half, after which they would go their own brief 8-2 run over the next seven minutes of the game.
The Orioles, like the Pirates had trouble making baskets for great stretches of the game, but they still took a 25-14 lead into halftime.
Hartford once again dominated in all facets to open the second half, going a 19-0 run which included four three-pointers.
The run would ultimately be stretched to 26-2, with Port Washington making their first basket of second half with 10:20 left to play. From there the Orioles started to fail to convert offensively and the Pirates were able to make the game respectable, despite trailing by over 30 points much of the second half.
Both teams were very loose mechanically in terms of shooting and passing in spurts of the game, which also contributed to the lopsided affair. The Orioles would go on to win 60-34, despite not looking their best in several instances.
The two top scorers for their respective teams were both freshmen. Hartford freshman Makena Christian had a monster 31-point game, including six three-pointers. Port Washington freshman Lillian Merow had a very solid performance, with the 6’2 center scoring 15 points and shot for a 58% field goal from inside.
Port Washington (3-10) remains winless in conference play and will next take on Nicolet, Tuesday January 11 at 7:15 p.m. Hartford improves to 6-6 overall with a 4-3 conference record and travel to take Kettle Moraine Lutheran in a non-conference match on Saturday January 8 at 3:30 p.m.
