Helena pulls away in second half to defeat rival Pelham

Published 7:03 pm Friday, January 10, 2025

By Andrew Simonson

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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

HELENA – The Helena Huskies got the better of their local rival in a crucial area matchup as they turned a one-possession game at the halftime break into a double-digit victory.

Helena defeated the Pelham Panthers 50-39 on Thursday, Jan. 9 at Helena High School in a game that had to be moved up 24 hours to dodge the incoming snowstorm on Thursday night.

The Huskies got the early edge on the offensive end thanks to a balanced attack across their deep lineup. Five different Helena players scored in the first quarter, including Hannah Satterfield and Lauren Smith, who each knocked down a 3-pointer.

On the opposite end, the Panthers couldn’t get going from deep, which helped the Huskies take a 12-7 lead into the second quarter.

From there, Tee King sparked the Pelham offense as she has for much of the season. King hit a pair of 3-pointers and two free throws. She scored eight of her team’s 10 points in the quarter and got into double figures for the first half after scoring three points in the opening quarter.

A 3-pointer from Isabel Heintz and field goal from Mallory Rhodes helped Helena keep pace, but the Panthers cut the deficit to just two points going into the halftime locker room.

Leading just 19-17, the Huskies fought back in the third quarter and established a more comfortable lead.

Heintz knocked down two 3-pointers and scored eight points in the third. Amari Grant found success from the free throw line, going 4-for-6 during the quarter while scoring eight points in that stretch. That countered another strong quarter from King, who had six in the third.

As a result, Helena extended its lead to 36-28 ahead of the start of the fourth quarter.

The Huskies continued building on their advantage in the fourth quarter thanks to 3-pointers from Satterfield and Rhodes. The Helena defense made sure that while Pelham scored 11 points in the fourth that it couldn’t overcome the deficit.

In the end, the Huskies claimed an 11-point victory to win their second-straight area game.

Grant and Heintz each finished with a Helena team high 13 points while Satterfield and Rhodes scored eight points apiece.

King dropped 20 points for the Panthers in the loss. Hannah Bankston scored eight points, Taylor Hollingsworth had five points and Janiah Harris finished with four points.

The Huskies are now 12-9 with the win and took sole possession of second place in Class 6A, Area 8 with a 2-1 record. Helena will start the back half of area play on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at home against the Chelsea Hornets.

Pelham dropped to 12-9 and 1-2 in area play with the loss and will hope to avoid a three-game losing streak when it faces the Spain Park Jaguars on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m.

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