Locust Fork’s girls basketball team is talented, but it’s also young and small.

That can be a problem sometimes, when the Hornets jump out to a big lead that they can’t seem to hold onto.

That was a scenario that coach Barbara Roy has seen before, and saw again on Tuesday night as her squad saw Hayden come back to send the game into overtime. The Hornets prevailed in the extra four minutes, though, and came away with a 70-65 win.

“It’s just our maturity. We’re still trying to work out the kinks of our age, and working on leadership,” Roy said.

After an even first quarter, Locust Fork jumped out to a 17-2 run to start the second. But the Wildcats clawed away at that margin bit by bit.

Taylor Garrett provided much of the spark late in the game for Hayden. Her 3-point play with 1:57 tied the game. After Jamie Gail Hudson responded with a 3-point shot seconds later for the Hornets, Savannah Woodard got a steal at half court and drove for a bucket.

Then as the clock wound down, Locust Fork’s Carissa Horton committed a crucial foul with eight seconds left that sent Garrett to the line. She hit one of two shots to send the game into overtime.

In the extra period, it was Madison Cater who paced the Hornets. After Brooke Meadows put Hayden in front with two free throws, Cater scored a basket to tie the game, then hit three free throws in the last two minutes to put her team ahead for good.

Double-digit scorers abounded for both teams. For the Hornets, Kimberly Horton scored 17 points (with three treys) and grabbed seven rebounds before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter. Hudson also scored 17 points and pulled down eight boards. Cater finished with 12 and Ashlyn Adkins added 11.

Hannah Padgett led the Wildcats with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Brooke Meadows scored 14 points and swiped seven steals, Garrett finished with 13 points and Sharley Miller added 12 on four 3-pointers, plus seven rebounds.

Locust Fork (11-7, 1-2 area) faces arch-rival Oneonta on the road Friday in a big Class 4A Area 10 matchup. Likewise for Hayden (9-7, 1-2), whch hosts Mortimer Jordan on Friday in a crucial Class 5A Area 11 contest.