The Derby Red Raiders certainly felt the pressure in the second half Friday night.
But just as the Sacred Heart Hearts managed to take a lead early in the fourth quarter, Mary Hyde did what she always does to help the Red Raiders come out victorious.
Hyde scored 22 of her game-high 29 points in the final two quarters as Derby defeated Sacred Heart, 59 – 52.
Derby was in control for the majority of the game, leading by as many as nine throughout the first half. Hyde was only the Raiders’ second-leading scorer after the first 16 minutes as junior Jenna Cripps scored nine points. Sabrina Lappost also aided the cause with six of her eight points coming in the first half. The Raiders went into the half with a 33 – 26 advantage.
But the visiting Hearts chipped away at the lead thanks to strong efforts from talented underclass bench players Jenn Massicotte and Jenna LaRusso. Massicotte poured in 18 points while LaRusso scored 14 points.
Sacred Heart finally tracked down Derby and tied the score at 42 – 42 with a S’ri Johnson basket just 30 seconds into the final quarter. Johnson hit one of two free throws less than a minute later to give the Hearts a 1‑point lead.
The lead would change hands three more times as Hyde gave Derby a 45 – 44 advantage with just over five minutes remaining. The Raiders would not relinquish the lead from that point on, riding Hyde’s 13 points in the quarter (including 5‑of‑6 from the free throw line) to the win.
Hyde said losing the lead was nerve-wracking for her and her teammates, who were down to just eight players because of injuries. But they discussed their situation on the bench during a time out.
“We pushed each other and talked to each other and pulled out the win,” Hyde said, mentioning that she talked to Cripps before the game to give her some confidence.
Sacred Heart Head Coach Ryan Sullivan said his players dug themselves an early hole, got tired later and could not stop Hyde in crunch time.
“Late in the game, it was too much Mary Hyde. We had no one that could match up with her,” Sullivan said. “I thought she had a very good fourth quarter. She’s a very good player.”
Derby Head Coach David Chevarella credited Hyde for being the go-to player, but also offered praise for Cripps and Lappost for providing other scoring in the first half. Lappost “did a great job defensively for us and contributed offensively as well, which was a big plus for us,” he said.
Chevarella said it was important for the Red Raiders to snap their 3‑game losing, especially with the Naugatuck Valley League and state Class S tournaments on the horizon.
Derby (9 – 10) will close out the regular season hosting Emmett O’Brien at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
