HOISINGTON — While it was a close basketball game for one half, the Ellinwood High School girls pulled away in the third quarter to secure their fifth straight victory.
The Lady Eagles won 50-40 over Hoisington on Tuesday night at the Hoisington Activity Center.
“Did someone say five in a row?” Ellinwood head coach said reacting for a question. “Starting out 0-2 and coming back to win five in a row, we’ve got Little River at home to come back off the break. That’s a winnable game.
“I don’t remember that Ellinwood has put together a five-game winning streak. These girls are starting to experience and taste that success.”
Neither team led by more than seven in the first half, with Ellinwood jumping out to a 13-6 lead with 2:29 remaining in the first quarter.
The Lady Eagles (5-2) got seven points from Kelsea Ward in the opening minutes.
“We knew they were not as strong as us on the inside,” Mountain said. “We didn’t think they’d come out man. I thought they’d come out zone and try to shut down my post players. They didn’t, and as soon as I saw that, we went right to Kelsea.”
Ward finished the game with a team-leading 14 points.
Sophia Hayes added four points, and Rachel Doll scored two points to get Ellinwood started.
Hoisington was coached by assistant coach Bruce Cooper in place of head coach Mandy Mason, who was sick.
However, Hoisington came roaring back, cutting the lead to 15-12 by the end of the quarter on 12 first-half points from Jordin Greer and 10 points from Rylie Koester.
“I was pleased with the girls’ effort,” Cooper said. “I think they played hard. Sometimes, I think they think they played hard, but there was a couple of places there at the end where we could’ve defended better.
“We have to get tougher inside. A lot of times, I thought we had position for rebounds and didn’t go up strong enough to get it.”
Greer led the Lady Cardinals with 20 points. Koester finished with 12 as the only other Hoisington player in double figures.
The two Mid-Central Activities Association teams played neck-and-neck until the closing minutes of the third quarter.
With Hoisington leading 33-31, the Lady Eagles went on a 13-1 tear that closed out the third period and extended into the fourth.
Hayes finished with 12 points, and Doll added 10.
The Lady Eagles had eight girls score in the victory.
Hoisington hosts Central Plains on Friday afternoon, with the junior varsity starting at 3:30.
Ellinwood is done until after the holiday break.
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
GIRLS
At Hoisington
Hoisington Activity Center
Tuesday
Ellinwood 50, Hoisington 40
ELLINWOOD (5-2)
Sophia Hayes 4 4-7 12, Oma Thomas 0 1-2 1, Blake Wilt 0 3-4 3, Jenna Snell 1 0-0 2, Brooke Panning 2 0-0 4, Rachel Doll 4 2-2 10, Kelsea Ward 6 1-2 14, Amanda Tucker 2 0-4 4. Totals 18 11-21 50.
HOISINGTON (2-4)
Mykela Riedl 1 0-0 2, Jordin Greer 9 2-4 20, Olivia Lowry 0 0-0 0, Rylie Koester 5 2-2 12, Abi Rziha 2 0-0 4, Abbi Demel 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 4-6 40.
Ellinwood 15 14 10 11 — 50
Hoisington 12 14 8 6 — 40
Three-point goals — Ellinwood 1 (Ward); Hoisington (none). Total fouls — Hoisington 18; Ellinwood 13. Fouled out — none.
