HONESDALE, PA  — One of the cardinal rules in basketball is that, if you hope to pull a rabbit out of a hat, don’t foul the other team’s ace at the free-throw line.

On Friday, February 12, the home team Lady Hornets of Honesdale (2-4) took on the Wallenpaupack Area High Lady Buckhorns (2-6) in a game that was settled at the foul line.

In the final frame, the visitors’ Megan Desmet was repeatedly fouled and proved her worth at the free-throw line, drilling 9 of 12 freebies (75 percent).

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In the final analysis, those extra points iced the game for Wallenpaupack as they defeated Honesdale 46-40.

The scorebook credited Desmet with a game-leading total of 26 points, including a 3-pointer and an overall posting of 17/21 at the FTL (81 percent).

Honesdale’s top scorers were Emma Modrovsky (13 points), Grace Maxson (12), Kady Giannetti (8) and Katie Ludwig (5).

Wallenpaupack’s were Megan Desmet (26 points, including a 3-pointer), Camille Kelly (8 including a 3-pointer). Grace Steffen (5) and Erika Badner posted a 3-pointer.

By the book and frame-by-frame: Honesdale 6, Wallenpaupack 8; 8-8; 12-14: 14-16.

At 6:02 in the third frame, Honesdale tied it up 18-18 and, at 5:15 in the fourth period, made it a one-point contest, trailing 34-35. Until Desmet stepped up to the free-throw line.

Stats from the free-throw line: Honesdale 10/11 (91 percent), Wallenpaupack 21/29 (72 percent).

The Lady Buckhorns are captained by senior Makenna Peet and juniors Megan Desmet and Devon Kiesendahl. The rest of the roster is made up of senior Haley Caccavale, three more juniors, nine sophomores and a freshman.

Honesdale is led on the floor by seniors Mia Land (#12) and Grace Maxson (#15). Land’s basketball credits include Missy Basketball, Northeast Sting Travel Team, NEPA Flames Travel Team, Electric City Surge Travel Team, and freshman, jayvee and varsity hoops. Maxson’s are Missy Basketball, Northeast Sting Travel Team, Preston Basketball Team (sixth through eighth grades), and at Honesdale High, playing key roles in grades nine through 12 as part of the freshman, jayvee and varsity squads.

Completing the squad are seven juniors, five sophomores and a freshman.

Both teams took to the hardwood guided by a couple of local basketball legends on opposite sides of the court: Wallenpaupack’s Roy Gibbs taught physical education and health at Honesdale for 37 years and has been coaching for 40-plus seasons, while Honesdale’s Ron Rowe has been at the helm of the girls’ varsity program for two years in the wake of coaching the boys’ varsity squad for three decades.

Rowe was visibly disappointed at the narrow loss, noting it was his team’s third consecutive defeat in the pandemic-ravaged season.

The Lady Buckhorns were also marked by the effects of COVID-19. According to Gibbs, an hour before the bus departed for Honesdale, they got a call that eight of their players were under quarantine, including Wallenpaupack’s “best player,” Devon Kiesendahl.

Pointing towards his merger bench, he said, “This is all we have for the rest of the season... Nine girls for two teams.”

Goals for the remainder of this weirdly wacky season of hoops?

“Our goal is just to survive, even if we have to play jayvee games for the rest of the year,” replied Gibbs.