SIOUX FALLS The Huron Tigers and Sioux Falls Jefferson Cavaliers played back and forth through much of the first half, but the Cavs closed the half on a 14-0 run and never looked back on the way to a 53-42 victory Saturday in Sioux Falls.
With two evenly-matched teams, runs would be important, Huron coach Kody Kopfmann noted before the game. Unfortunately, the first big run would go against his Tigers.
The press defense of the Cavaliers made it tough on Huron to open, and Brinley Altenburg opened the game with a pair of layups off defensive turnovers.
Abby Horner made a strong move, got fouled, and hit both free throws for Jefferson, then she got a layup after a steal to make it 8-0. The Cavs grabbed a few more steals but could not convert points before Kopfmann gathered his team in a timeout with 5:03 left in the first quarter.
Hylton Heinz hit a floater in the lane to open Huron scoring coming out of the timeout. The next trip down the lane, Heinz hit a jumper and was fouled, hitting the extra point.
Allison Janes hit a baseline jumper to bring Huron within 8-7. Addison Warnke was fouled for Jefferson and hit one of two charity shots. Heinz responded with a putback of her own miss. Janes capped the Huron run with a three from the top of the key to make it 12-9 Huron.
Addyson Knight would get a layup off a steal, but then Macy Bryant made a strong move and was fouled, hitting two shots. The Tigers took a 14-11 lead to the second quarter.
Altenburg was fouled and hit a free throw to open the second quarter to tie the game, 14-14. Chloe Carr got a response basket for Huron in transition.
The teams would go back and forth, with Ayleah Johnson getting a putback bucket for Jefferson and Heinz hitting a bucket in the lane.
Bryant hit a three, the first for Jefferson after struggling behind the arc in the first quarter. Heinz answered with a deep three of her own to give Huron the 21-19 lead.
The Tigers offense then went cold as Altenburg went coast to coast for a layup then hit a long three on the next possess.
Peyten Krull would get her first basket for the Cavs with a three and Bryant hit a pair of threes as Jefferson closed out the first half on a 14-0 run to take a 33-21 lead into the break.
Huron came out firing in the second half, with Heinz opening the half with a jumper. Janes followed with a baseline runner before Lydia Johnson answered with a baseline jumper for the Cavaliers, making it 35-25 Jefferson.
Janes hit another bucket and Heinz drove through the lane to make it 37-29. Aly Davis then got a bucket on a drive then was on the receiving end after a steal, scoring back to back buckets to make it 37-33.
Warnke hit both free throws and Janes answered with a strong move into the lane to make it 39-35. Both teams went into extended droughts at that point until Horner drove through the lane for a bucket and then was fouled and hit one of two to give Jefferson a 42-35 lead heading into the fourth.
Lydia Johnson was fouled and hit a pair of free throws, then Altenburg was able to finish off a pair of transitions with layups to push the lead out to 48-35.
Hurons shooting struggled in the fourth, but Knight pushed hard to the hoop, getting a transition bucket.
Heinz went hard to the hoop to make it 48-39, but thats the last points that the Tigers would score that were not put in by Addyson Knight.
Bryant hit a jumper for Jefferson, and Knight hit a pair of free throws. Knight would then hit one of two free throws to make it 50-42, but thats as close as Huron could get as the Cavs closed out a 53-42 win.
The Tigers did what they wanted to defensively, forcing Jefferson to get other contributions, and Coach Kopfmann acknowledged that they were able to execute against Huron.
Credit to Jefferson because we wanted someone other than Brinley beat us, and they had (Bryant) hit those big threes, Kopfmann observed. They had people step up in that second quarter and got that big lead, and we just couldnt get over that.
Altenburg hit for 18 points and Bryant added 13 points as Jefferson moved to 6-6.
The Tigers fell to 5-6 despite 18 points from Heinz and 11 for Janes.
Huron won the junior varsity game, 57-54.
Kopfmann is looking for his team to pick up their offensive aggressiveness heading into Watertown on Tuesday.
I talked to the girls after the game. Our girls werent aggressive enough looking to the hoop. We had our chances, Kopfmann said. We have to attack as we face a Watertown team that is playing better ball lately.
Huron 14 21 35 42
Jefferson 11 33 42 53
Huron (5-6): Allison Janes 5 0-0 11, Aly Davis 2 0-2 4, Hylton Heinz 8 1-1 18, Addyson Knight 2 3-4 7, Chloe Carr 1 0-0 2. Totals: 18 4-7 42.
Sioux Falls Jefferson (6-6): Abby Horner 2 3-4 7, Peyten Krull 2 0-0 5, Lydia Johnson 1 2-2 4, Addison Warnke 0 4-8 4, Ayleah Johnson 1 0-0 2, Macy Bryant 4 2-2 13, Brinley Altenburg 7 3-3 18. Totals: 17 14-19 53.
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