MORAN — Riding the back of a smothering full-court press, Humboldt stole the ball and the lead early in Tuesday’s game against Marmaton Valley in Moran and never looked back.
A 15-second span in the middle of the first quarter set the tone for much of the rest of the game.
Humboldt forced a turnover and Rylan Wilhite scored in the paint, was fouled and hit the free throw. Then Tilar Wells stole the ball again for Humboldt.
After using Wildcat turnovers to jump out to a 13-2 first quarter lead, the Cubs won 35-14.
The 19-point win didn’t satisfy Humboldt coach Aubrey Jones, however.
“We were really out of it today,” Jones said. “The only good thing about that game was that we got out of here with a win. That’s what’s called winning ugly.”
The Wildcats once broke the Cubs’ pressure by throwing a long pass over the defense to an open Kyla Drake who hit the layup, but the same play did not beat the Cubs twice.
“We put that one in yesterday in practice,” Marmaton Valley coach Gavin Cole said. “I anticipated them pressing us… and it was great it worked out. I wish we had more of those that could get us that easy layup.”
Drake and Isabelle Bigelow led the Wildcats in scoring with five points each.
“I thought Kyla played well, but it’s by no surprise,” Cole said. “I thought she had some of the better practices over Christmas break.
“(Bigelow) brings something that we desperately need, and that’s the ability to shoot the ball. She can stretch the defense, she’s got a little range to her game. Moving forward, she’s going to be important to this team.”
The Cubs were led in scoring by Aricah McCall and Annalise Whitcomb with 10 points each.
“Aricah really hustled tonight,” Jones said. “Aricah was all over it today to made sure she gave me everything she had.”
Cole said the Wildcat offense, which scored eight points in the first half and six in the second, needs work.
“It’s one of those things where our offense is a work-in-progress,” Cole said. “We haven’t scored 30 points (in a game) yet this year.”
The stifling Cub defense and the turnovers caused by the pressure was a part of the Wildcats’ low score.
“Missing shots is part of it, but ultimately I always tell the girls you got to value the ball, value that possession,” Cole said. “If you end the game with 20 turnovers, that’s 20 shots you never got up. If you make 25 percent of them, then that’s five shots and 10 points at least.”
“Sometimes we’re so busy fighting with the pressure we have on us that we do miss open people sometimes,” Cole said. “Sometimes our confidence is a little wavering on the offensive end, so we do got to take those looks if we get them because they don’t always come that easy.”
Cubs turn up pressure in win over Wildcats
