ST. JOHN — After five minutes, it was obvious that the St. John-Hudson High School boys’ basketball team’s ability to score in transition was going to be an issue for Larned.
After several steals and baskets on the other end, the Tigers were ahead 20-3 with three minutes remaining in the first quarter.
St. John was able to keep pulling ahead and finished 68-41.
Getting ahead early played into St. John head coach Clint Kinnamon’s plans.
“It was really good that we didn’t have to play guys very many minutes,” Kinnamon said. “(Zuriel Reyes) only played 19, Dean (Wade) only played 18. Trey (Nelson) played 19, and Jacob (Milton) and Jesus (Alvarez) each played 18.
“It was a good thing with Kade (Kinnamon’s) situation. He could play if we needed him to play, but it’s a good thing that we didn’t need him to play. It gives him a chance to rest another day.”
Senior Kade Kinnamon, the Tigers’ starting point guard, was out of the game due to a sore tendon in his leg. He was cleared to play, but St. John’s coach wanted to give it another day’s rest if possible.
Thanks to a one-two offensive punch of Reyes and Wade.
Reyes had a 9-0 run of his own inside a 24-0 run for St. John in the first quarter.
“Early, we did a fantastic job running the floor,” Kinnamon said. “We got open shots. We hit open shots, and our ball movement was really good. We moved the ball really well, and if you do that, you’re going to get good shots and we have good shooters.”
St. John’s defense allowed Larned’s Brayden Smith to  hit the first bucket of the game, a 3-pointer from the right wing.
The Tigers’ defense clamped down after that.
“I thought defensively, we played well the whole game,” Kinnamon said. “When we brought in our JV, we kind of gave up a little bit. I think for a small high school, we’re able to length out on them pretty good. If you’re able to length that, and then you’ve got your shooters and 6-foot-8 in the middle of the lane who’s going to throw anything that comes at him, that allows you to get to guys who can shoot the ball.”
The Indians didn’t score their next points until Grant Unruh sank a pair of free throws with 2:02 remaining in the first period.
Reyes finished with a team-leading 21 points, going 8-for-15 from the field.
Right behind him was Wade, who scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Smith led Larned with 10 points.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
St. John Lions Club Mid-Winter Classic
 
BOYS
 
Friday
 
At St. John
 
St. John 68, Larned 40
LARNED
     Easton Palmer 3 0-0 7, Brayden Smith 3 1-2 10, Grant Unruh 1 3-4 5, Jake Zimmerman 2 0-0 4, Tyler Stelter 0 0-0 0, Isaih Perez 0 0-0 0, Evan Skelton 1 0-0 2, Michael Reece 0 2-4 2, Camryn Bryant 0 6-8 6. Totals 11 13-20 40.
ST. JOHN (12-0)
     Gera Calleros 1 0-0 3, Cole Kinnamon 0 0-0 0, Alexis Valenzuela 0 0-0 0, Ryan Woodward 0 0-0 0, Nathan Ward 2 0-0 5, Jorge Calleros 1 2-3 4, Dean Wade 8 0-3 19, Trey Nelson 1 0-0 2, Zuriel Reyes 8 1-2 21, Jesus Alvarez 2 0-0 4, Jacob Milton 2 4-6 8. Totals 25 9-17 68.
Larned      7     12      7    14 — 40
St. John    34    13    10    11 — 68
Three-point goals — Larned 5 (Smith 3, Palmer, Skelton); St. John 9 (Reyes 4, Wade 3, Ward, G. Calleros).