YANKTON The Huron Tigers survived a long scoring drought in the second half to come out with a 50-38 victory in their season-opening game Tuesday against the Yankton Gazelles in Yankton.
Huron coach Kody Kopfmann expected some challenges in the first game, but he was pleasantly surprised.
We didnt really have any first-game jitters, Kopfmann said after the game. They played a good game all-around.
After a pair of empty possessions for each team, Hylton Heinz opened the season scoring for Huron with a scoop shot layup to give Huron the first points of the game. Yankton 5-foot-5 sophomore guard Eden Wolfgram, coming off a 34-point game Monday against Sioux Falls Lincoln, answered with a three-ball from the corner.
Madison Jurgens answered with a three after an offensive rebound by Allison Janes and after a pair of missed free throws by Wolfgram, Abagail Harrington nailed a three to give the Tigers an 8-3 lead midway through the period.
The Gazelles were far from done, as Nora Krajewski nailed a three and then repeated the result after a pair of Heinz missed free throws on the Huron possession. Krajewskis second three brought the Gazelles into the lead at 9-8.
Addyson Knight drove hard to the hoop, hit the bucket and was fouled. After converting the free throw, Huron took back the lead 11-9. Wolfgram drove hard to the hoop to knot the game at 11.
Krajewski hit a long two, but on the ensuing trip for Yankton, Heinz was fouled on a rebound and Yankton was into the first quarter bonus. Heinz sank one of two free throws with less than a minute left.
After each team traded empty possessions, the Tigers got the ball with time running down and Heinz hit a scoop shot at the buzzer to give Huron a 14-13 lead after one.
The Tigers went deep to open the second quarter as Aly Davis nailed a three on the first position of the period. Kelsyn Wells hit a short jumper for Yankton to make it 17-15, but then Huron got the momentum.
Heinz set up and nailed a deep three and on the next possession, Chloe Carr stepped back for a three from the top of the key. Carr would then hustle down on defense and got a blocked shot when she was the only defender on a Yankton three-on-one break.
A block on Carr on the ensuing offensive possession seemed to light a fire under Yankton, with Wolfgram scoring on back-to-back possessions to bring the score to 23-19 in favor of the Tigers.
The Huron defense then kicked into gear. Heinz was able to drive and score and the Tigers held Yankton scoreless the rest of the way. A late bucket by Heinz sent the teams to the locker rooms with Huron ahead 27-19 at half.
Wolfgram opened the second half by opening herself up for a three off the dribble, but then Janes would take over the game for two minutes, playing excellent defense and scoring three straight buckets as the Tigers took their largest lead of the game 34-22.
However, at the end of that run, Hurons offense went stone cold.
The Tiger defense played well to keep Yankton from coming all the way back, but a three from Krajewski and a bucket from September Rauch brought the score to 34-27 and drew a Kopfmann timeout.
Wells nailed a three to bring it within five, but Knight hit one of two free throws to end Hurons scoring drought and close out the quarter with the Tigers still holding a 36-30 lead.
Heinz dumped in a three to open the final stanza and then found her way across the lane for a scoop shot to make it 40-30 and draw a timeout.
The Huron defense turned away Yankton at every opportunity. A Janes three was the only scoring for either team for multiple minutes before Wells scored the first Yankton basket of the fourth with 3:14 left in the quarter.
The Tigers would respond by winding down the shot clock until the very end before Heinz broke free for a bucket. Krajewski hit a three to bring it back to 45-35 and draw a Yankton timeout.
At that point, it was down to fouls for Yankton. However, after shooting 3-of-9 to open the game from the charity stripe, the Tigers hit five-of-six to close out a 50-38 victory.
The Tigers were led by Heinz with 19 points. Janes joined her in double figures with 12 points, all in the second half as seven Tigers reached the scorebook.
Yankton was led by Krajewski with 16. Wolfgram added 10.
Hurons coach was very pleased with the overall play of his team, especially on the defensive end.
It was an absolute team effort on defense tonight, Kopfmann raved. The things that were preaching, we saw them tonight.
Huron swept the lower level action, winning the junior varsity game by the score of 44-33 and the sophomore game, 37-21.
The Tigers will host Tea Area Friday as part of a doubleheader.
Huron 14 27 35 50
Yankton 13 19 30 38
Huron (1-0): Madison Jurgens 1 0-0 3, Allison Janes 4 2-2 12, Aly Davis 1 3-4 6, Hylton Heinz 8 1-4 19, Abagail Harrington 1 0-2 3, Addyson Knight 1 2-3 4, Chloe Carr 1 0-0 3. Totals: 17 8-15 50.
Yankton (0-2): Kelsyn Wells 3 0-0 7, Josslyn Elwood 1 0-0 3, Eden Wolfgram 4 0-2 10, Nora Krajewski 6 0-0 16, September Rauch 1 0-0 2. Totals: 15 0-2 38.
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