When Hardin-Central needed to thwart a comeback attempt by Orrick recently in varsity girls basketball, Hardin-Central was ready.

Leading 31-27 after three quarters, the Bulldogs staged an 11-2 fourth-quarter run. The run helped Hardin-Central win the Jan. 31 courtwarming meeting 43-32.

Coach Tommy Burton attributed the run in part to the team’s character.

“They work their tails off. … We started basketball (training) in March,” Burton said. “And there’s not another team that’s going to outwork these girls – first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter. And so, when it’s a close game in the fourth quarter, we expect to turn it up a little bit. … That’s exactly what the girls did.”

Zoey Polk and Ester Kincaid – Hardin-Central’s top two scorers with 16 and 14 points, respectively – considered the run the product of teamwork.

“I think that our team chemistry has grown immensely from the beginning of the season … to this game,” Kincaid said.

As proof, Kincaid mentioned Addison Sc…