Parker

TYRONE — Jaida Parker was Tyrone’s go-to scorer for much of her freshman and sophomore years, but she’s played a quieter role offensively so far this season.

It’s worked out in the win-loss column, but with starter Emma Getz out against Hollidaysburg Wednesday due to COVID-19 contact tracing protocols, Parker jumped back into a more active role.

The star junior scored 20 points, including a three-point play with 1:35 to play that pushed Tyrone’s lead to four, and added 10 rebounds for the Lady Eagles in a 54-49 triumph over Hollidaysburg.

“Tonight, Jaida finally got comfortable in our offense,” Tyrone coach Luke Rhoades said. “We spent yesterday putting in a lot of new stuff. I wasn’t happy with how we were moving the ball on offense, and she picked it up. The whole team picked it up, but Jaida really thrived with it. She got to the basket and looked great on her finishes. She looked like the Jaida of old tonight, and I’m really happy for her.”

The win marked a big turnaround for Tyrone, which lost to Hollidaysburg 43-29 last season on the road with many of the same players on both teams.

After the Lady Tigers pulled within one point on Marin Miller’s layup with less than two minutes to play, Parker scored the final six points for Tyrone.

“She’s a tremendous athlete,” Hollidaysburg coach Deanna Jubeck said. “We knew coming in that she was a kid we had to focus on. If she’s scoring 20, Tyrone is going to win a lot of games.”

Parker also created second-chance opportunities for her teammates with several offensive rebounds.

“A lot of the (new offense) was for us to penetrate and get close to the basket,” Parker said. “We tried to focus on that. It felt good.”

Tyrone sophomore Kayelin Gibbons added 14 points and eight rebounds, and Stephanie Ramsey scored 11 points.

But Rhoades was perhaps happiest with senior Chesney Saltsgiver, who provided an offensive boost in the first half and was the primary defender of Miller, whose 14 points were below her season average. More importantly, Miller only got to the foul line for two free throws, which is a major part of her game.

“Her job tonight was to guard Miller, and I thought she did an outstanding job guarding her,” Rhoades said. “I know Miller scores, and she’s going to score points, but Chesney made her work for every point she got. Those seven points were a bonus, but her defense on Miller was outstanding, and that’s what we wanted from her.”

Tyrone, which won its 11th straight game after an 0-2 start, led by seven at the half and by as many as nine in the third quarter.

That’s when Hollidaysburg began to rally. The Lady Tigers used an 11-2 run that stretched from the third quarter into the fourth and was highlighted by three straight baskets from Camryn Figard to tie the game at 40.

“Marin Miller is one of the best guards in the area,” Jubeck said. “People are going to try and take her away, so we have been talking to our kids about how someone else is going to have to step up and fill some of the scoring. (Figard) was able to give us some points off the bench that we needed tonight.”

Tyrone responded by scoring the next seven points to seemingly take control of the game after Ramsey’s 3-pointer with 4:45 left, but the Lady Tigers weren’t finished yet.

Miller made a layup, Ali Hatajik, who had a team-high nine rebounds, made a free throw and Sydney Lear stole a pass and made a layup to cut the Lady Eagle lead to two. Gibbons made a free throw for Tyrone, and Miller made a layup before Parker’s three-point play that all but sealed the game.

“That was a strong take, and she had a real strong finish,” Rhoades said. “It was a battle back and forth. We’d get the momentum, they’d take the momentum, we’d take it back and that was a big momentum changer and a big shot for her.”

Lear led Hollidaysburg (3-3) with 17 points, including three 3-pointers.

“Sydney put in a lot of time over the summer and worked on her shot,” Jubeck said. “Right now, she’s really stepping up her game and giving us some great minutes. It’s great to see her having success on the court.”

HOLLIDAYSBURG (49): Miller 6 2-2 14, Smith 1 0-2 2, Lear 7 0-1 17, Hatajik 2 1-2 5, Stitt 1 1-2 3, Figard 4 0-0 8, DiPangrazio 0 0-0 0. Totals — 21 4-9 49.

TYRONE (54): Lewis 1 0-2 2, Ramsey 4 0-0 11, Saltsgiver 3 0-0 7, Parker 7 6-9 20, Gibbons 5 4-6 14, Brodzina 0 0-2 0, Su. Shaw 0 0-0 0. Totals — 20 10-19 54.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Hollidaysburg 13 10 15 11 — 49

Tyrone 11 19 10 14 — 54

3-point goals: Hollidaysburg 3 (Lear 3); Tyrone 4 (Ramsey 3, Saltsgiver).

Records: Hollidaysburg (3-3); Tyrone (11-2).

Officials: Craig Andros, Joe Bilka, Bill Pfeffer.

JV: Tyrone, 40-38. High scorers–Drew Kordish, H, 12; Bree Paul, T, 14.