Lady Cubs dominate with defense vs Yellowjackets

HUMBOLDT — It was a defensive performance that would have made any Clemson fan blush.

Humboldt High’s girls began 2019 on the right foot, stifling visiting Fredonia from beginning to end.

Humboldt nearly held the Yellowjackets without a field goal for the entire second half before Fredonia’s Sage Hawley connected inside late in the fourth quarter.

As it was, the Yellowjackets mustered only three points after intermission in Humboldt’s 41-10 whitewashing.

“We worked on a lot of defense over the Christmas break,” Humboldt head coach Aubrey Jones said. “We worked on keeping kids out of foul trouble, too. When Aricah (McCall) is in foul trouble, it changes the game entirely.”

For the record, McCall was whistled for her first foul Tuesday late in the third quarter. By then, Humboldt’s lead was 30.

The Lady Cubs jumped to a 13-2 lead after one quarter, courtesy of a smothering defensive attack. McCall scored six in the first quarter, four in the second and eight in the third quarter for a game-high 18 points. Maggie Johnson picked up the baton from there, connecting three times from 3-point range. She wound up with 13.

“Once those two go, the whole team follows,” Jones noted.

And while the Lady Cubs called off their press relatively early, Jones implored her players to maintain their defensive intensity.

They did, forcing several turnovers or rushed Fredonia shots whenever a Yellowjacket shooter thought she had a sliver of space.

“There are a few loose things we need to take care of, but it was a great way to start the year,” Jones said. “Overall, I was very pleased.”

The victory lifts Humboldt to 3-4 on the season. The Lady Cubs host Cherryvale on Friday.

Fredonia (2-5-0-3—10): Wood 1-0-1-2, Smith 1-0-2-2, Couch 0-0-2-0, Moya 1-1-2-3, Reddick 0-0-1-0, Hawley 1-1-3-3, Miller 0-0-3-0, Ostrosky 0-0-0-2, Edwards 0-0-3-0. TOTALS: 4-2-19-10.

Humboldt (13-9-15-4—41) (FG/3pt): Snyder 0-0-3-0, Mauk 0-1-3-1, McCall 5-8-2-18, E. Johnson 0-1-2-1, K. Johnson 1-0-0-2, A. Johnson 2-0-1-4, M. Johnson 2 /3-0-2-13, Dangerfield 0-2-1-2. TOTALS: 10/3-12-14-41.