By RYAN WALKER
PONETO — The Raiders just keep on winning.
For the third straight game, Southern Wells picked up a girls’ basketball victory, defeating the visiting Union Modoc Rockets (1-2) 54-31 improving to 3-1 on the season.
The Raiders dominated the second half, and it was much needed. They struggled out to a 23-14 advantage to the locker room at the break with issues turning the ball over. The team made nine shots but several miscues that kept the Rockets in the contest.
“I feel like the first half was probably the worst half of basketball we’ve played, to be honest,” Southern Wells head coach Kyle Penrod admitted. “I don’t have turnover numbers, but we probably had 15 in the first half, it felt like. We were generating those turnovers with our defense, but we were giving it right back instead of converting. We went in at halftime with 23 points and I felt like we could have 35 points.”
But while the Raiders were giving the ball away, their opponent would give it right back. They created 31 total turnovers in the game, and the Rockets struggled to keep the ball on their side of the court.
The only buckets in the first half for Southern Wells were two-point buckets and free throws. As rough as the opening half was though, the Raiders took care of the ball much better in the second.
The Raiders scored three straight layups to begin the third quarter from Ashlie Needler, Collena Reeves and Kaylee Davis. Then, Erika Beavans nailed the team’s first three. She followed that with another one toward the end of the quarter, and that gave them a 17-point edge and sparked a 12-4 run.
“Those two shots (by Beavans), whatever the cushion was, it extended it to where it was out off reach,” Penrod said.
The offensive turnovers became points, and the defensive side never let up to cruise away with the 23- point win.
Beavans led the Raiders with 12 points and also got help from guards Davis (nine) and Kaylea Coffel (eight), who took a few steals of their own for points.
Penrod’s quick and scrappy defense is taken advantage of mostly by the guards, and his focus has been on Coffel hustling to the rim. Before the game, he told his sophomore to run the floor with more intent and create some easy points. In the second half, she scored eight times on such plays and tallied her eight points.
“Coffel had a good game,” Penrod said. “I was really happy with her because the first two games, she had been maybe a little hesitant to run and make plays. I told her today, ‘Get out and run, and we’re going to get it to you. Go score.’ That’s the best thing she brings to the team.”
Southern Wells outscored Union Modoc 33-17 in the second half.
The Raiders will visit Lakeland Christian at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15.
ryan@news-banner.com
SOUTHERN WELLS 54, UNION MODOC 31
At Southern Wells
UNION Modoc (1-2): Kenzy Ogden 6-10 2-3 13, Glory Ellis 5-15 1-6 11, 2-5 0-0 4, Addie Farmer 0-3 0-0 0, Gracie French 0-5 0-0 0, Leah Schmucker 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 12-38 3-9 54.
SOUTHERN WELLS (3-1): Erika Beavans 5-8 0-0 12, Kaylee Davis 4-8 1-1 9, Kaylea Coffel 4-7 0-0 8, Aubree Meyer 2-3 0-0 4, Gracie Reeves 1-6 2-3 4, Collena Reeves 1-2 1-1 3, Kenzie Paxson 1-5 2-2 3, Kyah Thomas 1-3 0-0 2, Cadence Watkins 0-1 1-2 1, Callie Ripperger 0-4 0-0 0, Remi Holmes 0-1 0-0 0.TOTALS: 21-58 8-12 54.
Union 6 8 11 6 — 31
So. Wells 11 12 20 11 — 54
Three-point FG: Union Modoc: 1-9 (Ogden 1-2, Ellis 0-3, Farmer 0-2, French 0-1, Schmucker 0-1), Southern Wells: 2-13 (Beavans 2-2, Davis 0-3, Meyer 0-1, Gracie Reeves 0-3, Thomas 0-1, Ripperger 0-1, Holmes 0-1). Rebounds: Union Modoc: 29 (Ellis 12, French 6, Ogden 5, Schumucker 3, Farmer 2, Schwartz 1), Southern Wells: 26 (Needler 10, Collena Reeves 4, Davis 3, Coffel 2, Ripperger 2, Paxson 2, Gracie Reeves 1, Watkins 1, Holmes 1). Turnovers: Union Modoc: 31, Southern Wells: 21. Fouls: Union Modoc: 7, Southern Wells: 11. Fouled Out: None. Technicals: None.
JV: No game.
