Having just two full practices the previous eight days due to a winter snowstorm, Houston Lady Tigers coach Brent Kell was unsure how his team would play the first time it returned to the court.
“We could play really well or stink it up,” Kell said.
The Lady Tigers played well.
Senior Erica Keeney scored 15 of her game-high 18 points in the first half as the Lady Tigers erased an early double-digit deficit and cruised past Hartville 55-41 on the road Monday night.
“I told the kids I didn’t know what to expect,” Kell said. “I was surprised. It was probably one of our better outings of the year.”
Tory Burgess had 10 points for the Lady Tigers, who were playing for the first time since Jan. 29. Houston (5-14) has won three of its last five games.
Trailing 18-8 after the first quarter, the Lady Tigers had an 18-5 edge in the second quarter to take a lead they never relinquished. Keeney scored 12 points in the quarter.
“The key was our inside game,” Kell said. “They didn’t have any answer for Erica.”
Kell said his team played one of its better defensive games of the season.
“We took them out of anything they wanted to do,” he said. “They had a hard time passing the ball, and our press was really active. We stole the ball off the dribble two or three different times. We haven’t done that all year.”
After trailing early, the Lady Tigers outscored Hartville in each of the final three quarters.
“We were in better shape than I expected us to be,” Kell said. “When you’re out of school, you know kids are laying around and drinking sodas.”
JUNIOR VARSITY: Despite a fourth-quarter rally, the JV Lady Tigers lost 40-37 Monday at Hartville.
Houston outscored Hartville 16-6 in the final quarter. But it wasn’t enough to erase a 13-point deficit.
Alissa Bowlin hit a pair of 3-pointers en route to a team-high 10 points. Sierra Weaver added eight points.
Box scores
VARSITY
Houston 8 18 12 17 — 55
Hartville 18 5 5 13 — 41
HOUSTON (55) — Alexa Ichord 9. Kaitlyn Kell 4. Tory Burgess 10. Amber Sillyman 4. Haylee Kell 4. Emilee Reese 6. Erica Keeney 18. FG 18. FT 15-27. F 21. (3-pointers: Burgess 3, Sillyman)
HARTVILLE (41) — McKenzi Divine 3. Gillian Moon 4. Kelsey Olsen 4. Emmaley Duke 1. Amber Percival 13. Meagan O’Dell 9. Taylour Arnall 6. Laken McDaris 1. FG 14. FT 12-16. F 16. (3-pointers: Percival)
JUNIOR VARSITY
Hartville 14 10 10 6 — 40
Houston 10 4 7 16 — 37
HOUSTON (37) — Allie Preheim 2. Alissa Bowlin 11. Sierra Weaver 8. Kaitlyn Neal 2. Sydney Cremer 8. Maddie Vandiver 1. Kayla Herndon 5. FG 12. FT 11-17. F 12. (3-pointers: Bowlin 2)