by Benjamin Chase
of the Plainsman
STURGIS – The Huron Tigers shut down the Sturgis Brown Scoopers in the second half, allowing just six second-half points to secure a 56-39 victory Saturday afternoon in Sturgis.
The game could not have started much worse for the Tigers. Six-foot-two junior Olivia Vliem got a basket underneath to open scoring for the Scoopers. She then hit a turnaround jumper in the lane and Leigha Long was fouled going to the hoop, and the home team was quickly on the board with a 6-0 lead.
Hylton Heinz was fouled on a drive and made two free throws for Huron’s first points, but Addy Kossler began a big first half for Sturgis with a jumper on press break to make it 8-2 Sturgis.
Aly Davis got one of two free throws, but Kossler answered with a corner three.
Davis got Huron’s first field goal with 4:10 left in the first quarter and Jayla Schley was fouled in the post and sank two free throws. Kossler then answered with a three from the corner and was fouled on the drive after a steal and made one of two free throws to give Sturgis a 15-7 edge.
Heinz hit two more free throws and Long got one of two.
Abagail Harrington cut backdoor for Huron and Addyson Knight knocked down one of two free throws to close out the first quarter with Sturgis up, 16-12.
Long scored on a baseline drive for the Scoopers, then Huron got a basket underneath from Chloe Carr and Heinz scored in transition to get within two at 18-16, but Kossler answered with a wing three.
Knight got one of two free throws, and Sturgis then got a jumper from Kossler and a wing three from Long to push the lead out to 26-17.
Davis got a pair of free throws, then Vliem hit one of two free throws and Kossler also got one of two free throws to get the lead back to 28-19.
Heinz sandwiched a pair of made free throws and a hard drive for a basket around a pair of Kossler free throws. As time ran out on the first half Kosser sank a three to give Sturgis its biggest lead at 33-23 at the half.
Huron coach Kody Kopfmann said that his team had a focused halftime conversation.
“We came out a little bit flat in the first half, especially offensively,” he said. “Defensively, we were just a step slow. We went to the locker room to regroup.”
Davis opened the second half with a bucket on the move, and Long answered with a jumper in the lane on Huron’s zone defense, but the zone would not allow another field goal in the third quarter for Sturgis.
Davis got a pair of free throws, then found Schley cutting through the lane. Schley got a putback on the fourth shot of the ensuing possession, and Heinz hit a pair of free throws to close the deficit to 35-33.
Vliem hit one of two free throws for Sturgis, but Harrington was able to shake free and Heinz sank another pair of free throws to make it 37-36 Huron as the game headed to the final quarter.
The defense change keying a run didn’t surprise Kopfmann.
“Our zone was really good in that second half,” Kopfmann observed. “We haven’t played zone defense in probably two weeks.”
The Huron defense continued to lock down in the fourth quarter. Knight sank two free throws and Carr got a bucket underneath to open the fourth quarter.
Heinz cut into the lane for a basket, Harrington hit one of two free throws, and Goergen rattled in a wing three to give Huron a 47-36 lead.
Kossler hit one of two free throws for the first points of the fourth quarter for the Scoopers with 3:01 left in the game.
Knight drove into the lane for a basket, and Sturgis answered with a basket by Kynlee Stewart. Knight then took the ball hard to the hoop and was fouled as the shot clock expired. After sinking the free throw, Huron was up 52-39.
Harrington sank three of four free throws and Knight got one of two free throws to close out the game for Huron with a 56-39 victory.
Huron won the junior varsity game, 48-41.
With some key matchups in the next two weeks that could potentially move Huron into a home SoDak 16 game, Kopfmann hopes his team can propel forward from a successful weekend with a potential model for success.
“When we realize that when we’re at our best, we’re getting stops at the defensive end,” Kopfmann stated. “That’s when our offense can click.”
Huron 12 23 37 56
Sturgis 16 33 36 39
Huron (8-7): Addyson Knight 2 6-11 10, Aly Davis 2 5-6 9, Hylton Heinz 3 10-10 16, Abagail Harrington 2 4-8 8, Jencie Goergen 1 0-0 3, Chloe Carr 2 0-0 4, Jayla Schley 2 2-2 6. Totals: 14 27-37 56.
Sturgis Brown (4-11): Kynlee Stewart 1 0-0 2, Leigha Long 4 1-5 10, Olvia Vliem 2 2-4 6, Addy Kossler 6 5-8 21. Totals: 13 8-17 39.
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