CLAFLIN — It was a predominantly one-sided game for the Central Plains High School girls’ basketball team.
The Lady Oilers, who are ranked No. 6 in Class 2A in the latest Kansas Basketball Coaches Association poll, crushed La Crosse 61-26 on Friday night.
A mammoth run late in the first quarter, and solid defense in the second led the Lady Oilers to a 27-point lead by intermission.
“We came out and missed some shots, but we stayed solid defensively,” Central Plains head coach Pat Stiles said. “Finally, the shots started coming, we got a run going and that’s pretty much it.
“Once we get running up and down, we tend to do that pretty well. Our defense creates offense.”
With 2:47 remaining in the first period, freshman Taylor Rolfs, who led the Lady Oilers with a season-high 15 points, got Central Plains started with a shot in the paint.
Katie Hipp got a layup, followed by two points from Breanna Holmes, who was fouled but couldn’t convert the three-point play. She finished in double figures with 10 points.
Hipp drove in a mid-ranged jumper, and freshman Reagan Phelan scored on the next two possessions on a steal-and-layup, followed by a pair of free throws to cap the run with Central Plains leading 19-6 with 1:01 remaining.
The Lady Leopards scored with 36.1 seconds left in the first quarter on a Rachel Weigel jumper in the lane, but they failed to score a point again until 3:42 remained in the half as Marissa Wagner made the first of two free throws.
“We’re so balanced,” Stiles said of his team, which improved to 16-2 on the season. “There’s two or three girls in double figures with several others scoring. It’ll be a different mixture every night.
“They’re really good shooters, and they share the basketball.”
Jennifer Hitschmann also finished in double figures for Central Plains with 12 points.
The Lady Oilers, who were playing without starting point guard Janae Hekele, continued to light up the scoreboard, leading 40-13 at intermission.
“Hopefully we’ll have her back next week,” Stiles said. “She sprained her ankle last night in practice. It’s not broken, so we should get her back.”
Central Plains travels to Ness City on Tuesday night.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

GIRLS

Friday

At Claflin

Central Plains 61, La Crosse 26
LA CROSSE
    Ashley Depperschmidt 1 1-2 3, Alyssa Oborny 2 3-4 7, Rachel Weigel 2 0-0 6, Mary Lacy 0 1-2 1, Tessa Pierce 1 0-0 2, Marissa Wagner 1 2-6 4, Brianna Reeves 0 1-2 1, Daye Hasenfratz 1 0-0 2. Totals 8 8-16 26.
CENTRAL PLAINS (16-2)
    Breanna Holmes 5 0-2 10, Katie Hipp 4 1-2 9, Breanna Schartz 1 0-0 2, Kendra Oberle 1 0-0 2, Jayde Beck 1 0-0 2, Sam Stroede 1 0-0 2, Jennifer Hitschmann 5 2-2 12, Taylor Rolfs 6 1-2 15, Reagan Phelan 2 2-2 7. Totals 26 6-12 61.
La Crosse            9      4      8    5  —  26
Central Plains    23    17    19    2  —  61
    Three-point goals — La Crosse 2 (Weigel 2); Central Plains 3 (Rolfs 2, Phelan). Total fouls — La Crosse 12, Central Plains 12. Fouled out — None.