YATES CENTER — They have some little things to work on — free throws and not hurrying shots, for example — but Yates Center High’s boys showed they have the grit to overcome an early deficit.
The Wildcats trailed 11-3 at the start of Tuesday’s contest against visiting Neodesha High and 19-7 at the end of the first quarter.
But their defense kicked into high gear from there. Yates Center knotted the score by the end of the third period, then allowed the Bluestreaks only a single point in the final eight minutes of a 40-33 win.
“I’m pleased, but we left a lot of points off the scoreboard,” Wildcat head coach Jason Weilert said. “We have some little things that could make the difference between winning and losing.”
Neodesha drained three three-pointers in its early run before Yates Center’s defense began to exert itself.
The Wildcats opened the second quarter with a 10-2 run to creep within four before Neodesha hit a three-pointer late in the half for a 24-17 lead at the break.
A Paul Stockebrand three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer knotted the score at 32-32. Consecutive steals led to a pair of early layups by Dalton Smith in the fourth quarter to give the Wildcats the lead for good.
Smith scored 18 points with six rebounds to lead Yates Center. Stockebrand added nine points and six boards.
Dathiann Hawkins scored 15 to lead the Bluestreaks.
Yates Center travels to Caney Valley Friday to wrap up its pre-Christmas schedule.
Neodesha (19-5-8-1—33) (FG/3-pt): Lopez 1-1-2-3, Knickerbocker 0-0-3-0, Hawkins 3/3-0-3-15, Pruter 0-0-3-0, Scott 2-0-0-4, Baird 0/1-0-0-3, Groth 2-0-4-4, Depew 1-0-1-2, Orr 1-0-2-2. TOTALS: 10/4-1-18-33.
Yates Center (7-10-15-8—40) (FG/3-pt): Morrison 3-0-0-6, Aguirre 0-0-1-0, Francis 0/1-0-3-3, Stockebrand 2/1-2-0-9, Rice 2-0-0-4, Smith 6-6-0-18. TOTALS: 13/2-8-4-40.
Defense powers Wildcats to win over Streaks
