Indiana All-Stars and softball semistate? 'Just trying to be in both places and give my all'
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jacklynn Hosier is pulling the Deion Sanders-like double this week.
Hosier played in the Indiana All-Stars basketball team's 84-73 loss to the Kentucky at Lexington Catholic High School on Friday night, then drove home with her parents (her father, Mickey, was an Indiana All-Star in 1996), to prepare for Alexandria's Class 2A softball semistate game on Saturday morning at Kokomo.
If Alexandria wins that softball game against Andrean, she is going to try to make it back in time for the Tigers semistate championship Saturday night in Kokomo. That would be after the Indiana All-Stars play the rematch game against Kentucky at 5 p.m. at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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'I'm going to need like a police escort to get back to the game at 7 when we win,' Hosier said. 'I have confidence. It's going to be busy, but it's fun. I'm just appreciating it and making the most of it.'
Hosier, a Vermont basketball recruit, plays shortstop for the Alexandria softball team, which won the regional for the first time in the program's history. She made a deal — and put it writing — with softball coach Jared Bourf, the basketball assistant, that she would play softball this season. She did not play last year because of her AAU basketball spring season.
'Even though softball is not really my sport, I just want to be there for my team,' Hosier said. 'I want to help them in any way that I can. And I want to be here for this team, too, because not many people get this opportunity with the All-Stars, so I'm really grateful for it. I'm just trying to be in both places and give my all with softball and basketball.'
It might help her cause of she could use a helicopter to get to Kokomo like Deion Sanders did in 1992 to get from his NFL game with the Atlanta Falcons to a Cincinnati Reds' playoff baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On Tuesday, she practiced with the Indiana All-Stars at Marian University, then played with her softball team's 18-3 win over Lapel in the regional at Lapel. She celebrated with her team, riding the firetruck through town, then returned to Marian around midnight. All she has had to miss so far is about 30 minutes of basketball practice, though she will miss walkthrough on Saturday for the softball game.
'My dad just told me to enjoy it,' said Hosier, who played for her dad in high school. 'It goes by fast, and you aren't going to experience anything like it. It's been super fun. The girls have been so fun to hang around with, even we are just eating or playing cards or whatever. It's been really fun.'
The Indiana All-Stars will be looking to split the series with Kentucky in Saturday's return game after a frustrating loss on Friday night. Indiana gave up 26 offense rebounds to Kentucky, which was led by 28 points and 11 rebounds from Miss Basketball and LSU recruit ZaKiyah Johnson.
The Indiana All-Stars trailed 73-57 with 5 minutes remaining before rallying with 3-pointers from Monique Mitchell, Addison Baxter and Jaylah Lampley to cut the Kentucky All-Stars' lead to 73-68 with 3:35 left. Another basket by South Bend Washington's Mitchell got Indiana within 75-72 with 1:53 to play.
But that would be as close as Indiana would get. A three-point play by Louisville recruit Peyton Bradley, who burned the All-Stars for 21 points, sealed the deal.
'I definitely think homecourt advantage is a huge thing, especially with Kentucky and Indiana,' said IndyStar Miss Basketball Maya Makalusky of Hamilton Southeastern, who finished with a team-high 18 points. 'I think we should have been more prepared for that, knowing they are going to get every call, and the refs are going to be on their side. Our energy, too, whether the calls are going against us or not, is going to be important. And rebounding is a huge thing. They had way too many offensive rebounds.'
Kentucky was 17-for-27 from the free-throw line, while Indiana was 7-for-9. Columbia City's Baxter added 10 points and six assists, Lawrence Central's Laila Abdurraqib had 10 points and Mitchell finished with 12 points and five rebounds.
The all-time series is now 55-42 in favor of Indiana. Kentucky will be going for its first sweep since 2012.
'I think most important (Saturday) is just coming out and having fun and having that energy,' Makalusky said. 'Coming into this, we were the underdog. If we get better rebounding, tomorrow will be our game.'
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