Hawbaker’s career-high leads Lady Little Lions to win over Carlisle

Kyla Irwin led the State College girls’ basketball team in scoring on Thursday night.

Nothing out of the ordinary there.

What did come as somewhat of a surprise, though, was the explosion of guard Kayla Hawbaker.

The Lady Little Lions (9-2) handled Carlisle (1-8) easily at home, doubling up the Thundering Herd and then some with a 72-32 win. Irwin had 24 points, 14 in the second half.

But it was Hawbaker, State College’s junior point guard, who all but secured a win for the Lady Little Lions by the time halftime came around. Hawbaker finished with a career-high 20 points, 16 of which came in the first half.

“Kayla had an awesome game tonight,” State College coach Bethany Irwin said. “She’s a great kid, works really hard, and she found her stroke today.”

Hawbaker certainly did, especially in the second quarter.

After holding a firm 18-11 lead after the first period, a team effort, headed by Hawbaker, put the game away in the second.

The quarter was highlighted by a trio of Hawbaker field goals, including a rare five-point play. Hawbaker hit her second 3-pointer of the night, and said she was fouled after the shot, sending her to the line with a one-and-one because State College was in the bonus. She drained both attempts.

Hawbaker had never been a part of a five-point play before, but she would take it. The play helped propel her toward scoring 11 of State College’s 20 second-quarter points.

For the sake of the Lady Little Lions, Hawbaker’s showing was timely. It gave State College a 21-point halftime cushion — an advantage normally hard to come by.

“It’s a rarity because of the schedule we participate in,” Bethany Irwin said of her team’s Mid Penn conference schedule. “It’s a comfort zone.”

For Hawbaker herself, the first-half performance was welcomed after struggling the last couple games. She had two points in a loss to Harrisburg last Tuesday and 10 in a drubbing of North Schuylkill on Dec. 30.

“It was really nice to gain that confidence back I had lost,” Hawbaker said. “I was just not putting the ball in the hoop. ... I don’t know if it was my shot or just a mental thing.”

Whatever it was, she fixed it against the Thundering Herd, who had trouble containing not only Irwin and Hawbaker, but also the rest of the Lady Little Lions. State College distributed the ball well, tallying a total of six different scorers in the first half.

By the end of the game, the Lady Little Lions had nine contributors — Irwin, Hawbaker, Jessie Orndorff (10 points), Ellie Strauss (six), Anika Mitika-Pone (four), Abby Allen (four), Casey Witter (two), Denaya Poston (two) and Jessica Lingenfelter (two).

State College coach Bethany Irwin said having that many scorers is crucial for team morale. The coach mentioned how opposing teams tend to double-team Kyla Irwin, leaving others with open looks.

In the beginning of the year, those chances weren’t converted. They are now, though, and that’s key with the second half of the Mid Penn slate ahead.

“It’s huge because it builds a lot of confidence in all the kids,” Bethany Irwin said. “They don’t care really who scores. ... Those shots are falling.”

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 11:14 PM with the headline "Hawbaker’s career-high leads Lady Little Lions to win over Carlisle."