BRODHEAD - Carly Mohns and the Brodhead girls basketball team can check their first goal off the list.
Mohns scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds to power the Cardinals to a 65-39 win over Beloit Turner Thursday. With the win, Brodhead (20-0, 15-0 Rock Valley South) remains unbeaten. Going into the game, the Cardinals had already wrapped up their fourth straight Rock Valley South Conference championship. Now they are looking to keep their unbeaten season alive.
"It means a lot," Mohns said of winning the Rock Valley South Conference. "It's a good feeling when it pays off in the end and we win conference for the fourth straight year."
Brodhead will face a test when they play at Badger South power Oregon Monday, Feb. 24.
"It will be a big game," said Mohns, an University of Iowa recruit who will face Maddy Gits, a Saint Louis University recruit. "We want to come out and play like it's a conference game. We want to try our best to stay perfect."
The Cardinals kept their unbeaten streak intact with an 8-0 run in the first quarter against the Trojans. Brodhead sophomore Kylie Moe sparked the run with two 3-pointers. Moe scored 15 points and made four 3-pointers. Brodhead senior Rachel Heller had two steals and layups late in the first quarter to give the Cardinals an 18-7 lead.
The Cardinals fueled by a press outscored the Trojans 16-1 in the second quarter to seize control of the game. Mohns scored on two putbacks as the lead ballooned to 30-11. Mohns scored 12 points in the second quarter to pace the surge. Brodhead junior Brooke Boegli scored down low late in the second to give the Cardinals a 38-12 lead at the half.
"I think it's big that we came out and played our ball right away," Mohns said. "Once you get later in the season you have to play your best and you can't take it easy on teams like that. We have to play to our level."
The Cardinals used several defenses switching from a press, to a 2-3 zone and a man-to-man defense. The Cardinals' stifling defense forced the Trojans into 24 turnovers.
"We talk a lot about defense," Brodhead coach Brad Pickett said. "It starts at the defensive end. In the first half, I thought we did a good job on defense and really set the tone. We have ran all of those defenses this year. We are just trying to switch it up and not let offenses get on their toes."
Mohns said the team's defense gave them momentum and it led to offense.
The Trojans scored 16 points in a 6-minute stretch in the third quarter to cut the Cardinals' lead to 20 points. Pickett called two timeouts during the stretch. The Cardinals closed the third quarter strong with Mohns scoring down baskets down low.
"Carly draws so much attention," Pickett said. "It opens up other things for us."
Moe knocked down four 3-pointers and Heller had one 3-pointer and three steals.
"Kylie has the green light," Pickett said of shooting the 3-pointer. "She turns down some shots she should take sometimes. She's a great shooter."
Pickett turns his attention to the regional tournament seeding meeting on Sunday, Feb. 23. Brodhead is expected to be a No. 1 seed, but their regional path in the tournament won't be finalized until Sunday. The Cardinals will then have a practice to get ready for Oregon.
Pickett said the team's first goal was to win the conference and another goal is to go unbeaten.
"Oregon is a really good team with size," Pickett said. "We have played other teams with size in Whitewater and Clinton. It's a good test to have going into the tournament."
Mohns scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds to power the Cardinals to a 65-39 win over Beloit Turner Thursday. With the win, Brodhead (20-0, 15-0 Rock Valley South) remains unbeaten. Going into the game, the Cardinals had already wrapped up their fourth straight Rock Valley South Conference championship. Now they are looking to keep their unbeaten season alive.
"It means a lot," Mohns said of winning the Rock Valley South Conference. "It's a good feeling when it pays off in the end and we win conference for the fourth straight year."
Brodhead will face a test when they play at Badger South power Oregon Monday, Feb. 24.
"It will be a big game," said Mohns, an University of Iowa recruit who will face Maddy Gits, a Saint Louis University recruit. "We want to come out and play like it's a conference game. We want to try our best to stay perfect."
The Cardinals kept their unbeaten streak intact with an 8-0 run in the first quarter against the Trojans. Brodhead sophomore Kylie Moe sparked the run with two 3-pointers. Moe scored 15 points and made four 3-pointers. Brodhead senior Rachel Heller had two steals and layups late in the first quarter to give the Cardinals an 18-7 lead.
The Cardinals fueled by a press outscored the Trojans 16-1 in the second quarter to seize control of the game. Mohns scored on two putbacks as the lead ballooned to 30-11. Mohns scored 12 points in the second quarter to pace the surge. Brodhead junior Brooke Boegli scored down low late in the second to give the Cardinals a 38-12 lead at the half.
"I think it's big that we came out and played our ball right away," Mohns said. "Once you get later in the season you have to play your best and you can't take it easy on teams like that. We have to play to our level."
The Cardinals used several defenses switching from a press, to a 2-3 zone and a man-to-man defense. The Cardinals' stifling defense forced the Trojans into 24 turnovers.
"We talk a lot about defense," Brodhead coach Brad Pickett said. "It starts at the defensive end. In the first half, I thought we did a good job on defense and really set the tone. We have ran all of those defenses this year. We are just trying to switch it up and not let offenses get on their toes."
Mohns said the team's defense gave them momentum and it led to offense.
The Trojans scored 16 points in a 6-minute stretch in the third quarter to cut the Cardinals' lead to 20 points. Pickett called two timeouts during the stretch. The Cardinals closed the third quarter strong with Mohns scoring down baskets down low.
"Carly draws so much attention," Pickett said. "It opens up other things for us."
Moe knocked down four 3-pointers and Heller had one 3-pointer and three steals.
"Kylie has the green light," Pickett said of shooting the 3-pointer. "She turns down some shots she should take sometimes. She's a great shooter."
Pickett turns his attention to the regional tournament seeding meeting on Sunday, Feb. 23. Brodhead is expected to be a No. 1 seed, but their regional path in the tournament won't be finalized until Sunday. The Cardinals will then have a practice to get ready for Oregon.
Pickett said the team's first goal was to win the conference and another goal is to go unbeaten.
"Oregon is a really good team with size," Pickett said. "We have played other teams with size in Whitewater and Clinton. It's a good test to have going into the tournament."
