An early suffocating effort on defense coupled with an efficient output on the offensive end by top-seeded College Heights Christian fueled the Cougars to a big lead they wouldn’t relinquish in a 62-34 win over fifth-seeded Purdy in the Class 2 District 12 semifinals on Thursday.
College Heights (16-11) forced a bevy of turnovers in the first quarter, which ultimately led to plenty of easy baskets the other way and a 23-point advantage for the Cougars heading into the second period. CHC carried that momentum into halftime and pushed the lead to more than 30 over the Eagles (5-23) in the third quarter, keeping pace down the stretch in the win.
“We played really well from the start,” CHC coach John Blankenship said. “I was a little concerned because it has been a week since we last played. That’s the downside of having a bye, but they’ve been pretty focused in practice the last week. We talked about making sure we came out mentally sharp and ready to play. I thought they responded to that really well.
“We scored 27 points in the first quarter and pulled off the trap in the second quarter, so our defensive intensity dropped a little bit. We had a little conversation about that at halftime and they came out and picked it up in the third quarter.
“Overall, I was really pleased with how we played. We got some kids on the bench some minutes and got our starters some rest. We have a couple of nagging injuries, so it was nice to give them a little bit of a rest.”
DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP
With the win, College Heights is back in the district championship game for the fifth straight season. The Cougars square off against Pierce City at 6 p.m. on Saturday inside the College Heights Christian Athletic Complex.
“I want them to be consistent,” Blankenship said when asked what he wants to see from his girls in the title game. “If we are playing defense, moving the ball well and knocking down open shots, we are going to play with most teams. Pierce City is a very quality program and is coached well. They know us and we know them pretty well, so it will be a tough matchup.”
GAME ACTION
The tone on the defensive end was set in the first several minutes of action for College Heights, as the Cougars went to the trap early and forced Purdy into six turnovers over the first four minutes. The barrage of extra possessions turned into a 12-2 start through the first half of the opening period of play.
“Jayli (Johnson) and Lauren (Ukena), our guards, do such a good job of putting a lot of pressure on the ball and forcing turnovers, which allows us to get out in our transition game,” Blankenship said. “Our defense usually initiates our offense.”
While the Cougar defense was wreaking havoc on the Eagles’ offense, CHC forward Libby Fanning was giving Purdy fits on the offensive end—with most of her dominance coming inside the paint. Fanning had 13 points on six field goals in the first quarter of action.
“She is a force inside,” Blankeship said of Fanning. “We knew we would have an advantage inside tonight, so that was our plan—to pound it inside. We have been working with her on reading a defense, when to kick it out or when to take it back up. She has gotten so much better at that.”
After the 12-2 start, CHC closed the opening period on a 15-2 run to take a 27-4 advantage after the first eight minutes of play. Aside from Fanning, Ava Lett and Addie Lawrence each knocked down 3-pointers, while Jayli Johnson, Allie Stout and Kinley Marsh all got on the scoreboard in the opening period.
College Heights held its 20-plus-point cushion advantage into halftime and accelerated out of the break. The Cougars started the second half on a 11-4 advantage to build their first 30-point margin.
Johnson highlighted the run with back-to-back steals, finishing one off for a layup on the break and dishing to Maddy Colin for a transition bucket following the second swipe. Colin added another basket in transition at the four-minute mark before Lauren Ukena scored on the break on the next possession to push the lead to 47-15.
“One thing you can count on from Jayli is 100 percent effort on both ends of the floor regardless of how tired she is,” Blankenship said of his senior guard. “Her character and integrity allows her to push through things. Her speed on defense allows her to create so many turnovers for us.”
STAT LEADERS
Fanning finished with a double-double after scoring a game-high 17 points and pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds. Colin finished with 10 points, five steals and four rebounds, while Johnson closed with seven points, a game-high six assists to go along with five steals defensively to go along with three boards. Lawrence closed with eight points, while Stout and Lett each scored six.
