King attended practices and games and did all she could to help Hughesville as it made history and captured its first district championship and state tournament victories. Still, as happy as King was for her teammates, she also hurt knowing she could not contribute on the court.

Now King feels whole again. And she is making up for lost time with a vengeance. Showing the hustle which defines the team, King played one of her best games in her playoff debut Friday, scoring nine first-half points, grabbing four rebounds and adding two steals off the bench while helping Hughesville defeat Bloomsburg, 59-41 in the District 4 Class AAA quarterfinals.

“Sitting on the bench and watching was the hardest part,” King said. “Of course, they succeeded, and I was proud of them, but not being able to help them do more was really tough.”

King was part of a tremendous bench performance which helped Hughesville (21-3) earn both a semifinal against Mount Carmel next week and a second straight state tournament appearance. She, Anna Easton and Kylie Temple combined for 19 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three steals as the Spartans pulled away from a determined Bloomsburg team throughout the second half.

Kylie Temple of Hughesville and Ally Bang of Bloomsburg dive to the floor after a loose ball at Hughesville High School. Hughesville won, 59-41. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Easton and Temple also played similar roles last year, but King’s emergence provides an already deep team another versatile weapon. She proved it against Bloomsburg, hitting three 3-pointers during the first half and providing a jolt with those shots which helped Hughesville build a 28-17 halftime lead.

Not that it was just King scoring providing a boost. She also played excellent defense, hit the boards hard and sprinted from behind to make a last-second steal which prevented Bloomsburg from potentially tying the game or pulling within one entering the second quarter.

“Last year I wasn’t able to do anything, so it feels good to be able to provide a spark to the team,” King said. “Once I started hitting those shots tonight, I just had to keep going.”

“Tonight, she played really free and didn’t think about her knee or anything like that,” Hughesville coach Dustin King said. “She just played and let the game come to her. It was great to see as a coach but even more special to see as a father.”

Hughesville received stellar contributions throughout its roster and each player produced key shots and/or plays which helped it fight off a team which relentlessly competed against it. Maddie Smith scored a game-high 14 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Alli Anstadt totaled 11 points, eight boards and three steals.

Kylie Temple of Hughesville steals the ball from Riley Hunter of Bloomsburg at Hughesville High School. Hughesville won, 59-41. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Vivian Draper made a run at a double-double with nine points and seven rebounds; Kendall Hamm had six points, and five boards and Ava Snyder dealt four assists. Highlighting the team’s ferocious drive, all eight players in the main rotation grabbed at least three rebounds with six producing five or more.

“It was a great team win. Every player did something to help the team,” Dustin King said. “They played really well together, and they all played with great effort, and everyone really got after it. It was fun to watch.”

Hughesville has featured one of the area’s premier benches throughout the season and the reserves delivered strong production again, doing so at pivotal times. King was up first and each of her 3-pointers came at crucial moments. The first two cooled Bloomsburg after it had closed within three each time and the third capped a six-point run which pushed the lead to nine.

Heck, even when King finally missed it still helped. Smith came sprinting along the baseline, caught the ball as it rolled off the rim and scored off the putback to make it, 26-15.

“We do our best to support our teammates,” Easton said. “If one is down, we’re there to pick them up.”

Kylie Temple of Hughesville puts up a shot against Bloomsburg at Hughesville High School. Hughesville won, 59-41. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Easton kept helping Hughesville pick things up in the third quarter. The sophomore forward showed off her skill set, scoring inside, grabbing four rebounds and adding three assists in the third as Hughesville pushed its lead to 47-30 entering the fourth quarter.

Easton finished with four points, seven rebounds and five assists. The starters often are matched up against the reserves at each practice and that daily work is making the entire team better as a result.

“I guard Alli in practice and she guards me, and we push each other. I pick up things from her. She’s a really good mentor for me,” Easton said. “Scoring isn’t the biggest thing. Getting rebounds, assists, playing defense and things like that are big, too. Even if you’re not scoring, you’re still doing something to help the team. Those little things add up.”

They certainly do and all the Hughesville players doing them well helped them earn a big win. That included Temple also asserting herself in all facets. The junior guard scored six points, pulled down three rebounds and helped cause chaos with her tough defense.

Temple ran the offense well when called upon and also played a significant role in Hughesville forcing 21 turnovers through the first three quarters. Every Spartan doing her part eventually wore down the pesky Panthers. An Easton putback followed by an assist to Hamm for a 3-pointer gave Hughesville a 57-33 advantage midway through the fourth quarter.

Anna Easton of Hughesville puts up a shot against Bloomsburg at Hughesville High School. Hughesville won, 59-41. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“I feel like we’ve done pretty good lately off the bench. We try and bring big energy every game,” Allyssa King said. “Our practices are pretty intense. We get after it and push each other really hard.”

That makes it easier for all the Spartans to push hard once the games start. And now they have pushed themselves into the district’s Final 4.

“Bloomsburg is a well-coached team, and we knew they were going to be tough,” Dustin King said. “They scrapped and competed, and we had to play a really good game because we knew they were going to be ready.”

BLOOMSBURG (41)

Ally Bang 1 5-6 7, Bella Pistoia 4 3-4 12, Delaney Zentner 2 5-6 9, Harper Faust 0 0-0 0, Riley Hunter 1 0-0 2, Hannah Magill 0 0-0 0, Teagan Serrano 5 0-0 11. Totals 13 13-16 41.

Maddie Smith of Hughesville puts up a shot over the Bloomsburg defense at Hughesville High School. Hughesville won, 59-41. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

HUGHESVILLE (59)

Alli Anstadt 4 3-6 11, Maddie Smith 5 2-2 14, Ava Snyder 0 0-0 0, Vivian Draper 4 1-3 9, Kendall Hamm 2 0-0 6, Kylie Temple 1 4-6 6, Allyssa King 3 0-0 9, Anna Easton 2 0-0 4, Tori Morgan 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 10-19 59.

Bloomsburg 10 7 13 11–41

Hughesville 13 15 19 12–59

3-pointers: Bloomsburg 4 (Serrano 3, Pistoia); Hughesville 7 (King 3, Smith 2, Hamm 2).

Records: Hughesville 21-3. Bloomsburg 10-13.

Kendall Hamm of Hughesville puts up a shot against Bloomsburg at Hughesville High School. Hughesville won, 59-41. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Kendall Hamm of Hughesville puts up a shot against Bloomsburg at Hughesville High School. Hughesville won, 59-41. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette