SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Ignited by a fast start, the Carthage girls basketball team cruised to a 69-27 victory over Hillcrest in the opener of the 2022-23 season.
The Tigers led 19-4 by the end of the first quarter, and the visitors were up comfortably 40-12 at intermission.
“We came out with great energy right from the start tonight,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “Our press forced several quick turnovers and the girls did a great job of converting those into points.”
Carthage’s lead was 56-25 at the end of the third quarter. The Tigers outscored the Hornets 13-2 in the fourth quarter.
Senior guard Kianna Yates poured in a career-high 33 points for Carthage, with 24 points coming in the first half. Yates made 13 field goals and connected on 7-of-9 free throws.
“Kianna Yates had a great game,” Moore said. “She was unstoppable in the open floor and the girls really fed off of her success.”
Maggie Boyd added eight points for the Tigers, while Lexa Youngblood scored seven points. Jaidyn Brunnert and Landry Cochran contributed six points apiece.
“All eight players scored and that’s great to see,” Moore said. “We are battling through a rash of injuries to start the season, so we need all our healthy players firing on all cylinders for us to be successful. I was extremely pleased with our passing tonight. Our players took pride in finding the open teammate and we scored a lot of baskets on the extra pass tonight.”
Carthage (1-0) will host the Lady Tigers Invitational beginning on Dec. 1. Carthage plays Olathe East in the opening round.
