BROOKINGS The Huron Tigers took the lead heading into half and dominated the second half to avenge an early-season loss to the Brookings Bobcats, winning 49-38 Tuesday at Bob Jostad Gymnasium in Brookings.
Huron coach Kody Kopfmann called the first matchup with the Bobcats a game that got away in the pregame discussion, and early on, it looked like it could potentially go similarly Tuesday.
The Tigers struggled to get into their offense against the Brookings 2-3 trap defense, with Macy Even getting a putback for the Bobcats to open scoring and Tess Burns sinking a left-handed hook shot around two defenders down low to give Brookings a quick 4-0 lead.
Abby Harrington found a hold in the Brookings zone and hit a jumper to open the scoring for the Tigers. The next trip down, she and Chloe Carr worked a high-low post game to get Carr a quick bucket and knot the score, 4-4.
Logan Smidt would drive hard, get fouled and hit one free throw for Brookings and Hylton Heinz would answer by driving down the lane and getting fouled as well, hitting both free throw shots, giving Huron its first lead of the game at 6-5.
Burns would get fouled and hit a pair of free throws, and Even drove hard down the lane for a bucket to put Brookings up 9-6. Heinz would get a bucket on a drive down the baseline to close it to 9-8 Brookings at the end of the first quarter.
Aly Davis would get a jumper one minute into the second quarter for Huron, then a long run would ensue for Brookings.
Sloan McLagen spotted up for a three that seemed to touch every part of the rim and some backboard before falling through the net. She then was on the receiving end of a fast break after a steal. Finally, she faked a three and hit a baseline jumper.
A three by Smidt would give Brookings a 10-0 run and a 19-10 lead.
Thats when Kopfmann called a timeout and settled his Tiger team, and they definitely responded coming out of the talk from the coach.
At 19-10, they were the aggressor. After that timeout, we started to be the aggressor on the press, both on offense and on our own press on defense, Kopfmann emphasized. That was the big difference was our defensive work.
Heinz got a steal, a layup, and was fouled. She missed the foul shot. Davis and Carr would each get fouled and hit one of two free throw shots. Heinz drove hard into the lane to get a bucket, making it 19-16 Brookings.
Heinz got the ball off a deflection and put a ball in, then off a steal, Addy Knight hit a basket. Kaitlyn Harris would get fouled for Brookings and would hit one of two.
Heinz would get fouled on a baseline drive and hit a pair of free throws to close out first half scoring with Huron leading 22-20.
Smidt opened the second half with a steal and a layup to tie the score, but Allison Janes answered with a jumper for Huron and then Heinz scored in the lane to give Huron a 26-22 lead.
Smidt drove hard to the hoop for two, but Janes answered with a pair of free throws after getting fouled. As both teams were in a scoring drought, Smidt picked up her fourth foul, and the effect of losing their starting guard was immediate for the home team on the floor.
Huron quickly got a three from Janes, a kick out jumper for Davis and a putback by Janes to push the Huron lead to double-digits at 35-24.
Smidt would come in and hit a three, scoring all seven points for Brookings in the quarter, but Huron took a 35-27 lead into the final frame.
Kymber Buys got a putback for Brookings, but Janes answered with a three.
Brookings would get a free throw from Harris and a pair of free throws from Even to close within 38-32, but thats as close as they would get the rest of the way.
Heinz hit six-of-six free throws in the fourth quarter as Huron closed out a 49-38 victory.
The Tigers move to 5-5 behind 23 points by Heinz. Janes would finish with 12 points, all in the second half as Huron took the lead and pulled away.
Brookings falls to 4-4. Smidt led the Bobcats with 13 points and McLagen added 10.
Brookings took the JV game 40-34 and Huron won the sophomore game 42-30.
Kopfmann was excited for his teams play and looking forward to continued strong team efforts.
Kudos to our girls for the battle, he smiled. To be able to shut down their bigs was something we can do when they play like that.
The Tigers will travel to Sioux Falls Jefferson on Saturday.
Huron 8 22 35 49
Brookings 9 20 27 38
Huron (5-5): Allison Janes 4 2-2 12, Aly Davis 2 1-2 5, Hylton Heinz 6 10-11 23, Abagail Harrington 1 0-0 2, Addyson Knight 1 0-0 2, Chloe Carr 2 1-2 5. Totals: 16 14-17 49.
Brookings (4-4): Sloan McLagen 4 0-0 10, Macy Even 2 2-2 6, Kymber Buys 1 1-2 3, Kaitlyn Harris 0 2-4 2, Logan Smidt 5 1-2 13, Tess Burns 1 2-4 4. Totals: 13 8-14 38.
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