BRODHEAD - Brodhead senior Alyssa Harding was a 2-3 zone killer Friday night.
Harding scored nine of her team-high 10 points in the first quarter to help the Cardinals roll to a 58-26 win over Palmyra-Eagle.
Brodhead (9-3, 8-1 Rock Valley South) isn't a stranger when it comes to playing against zone defenses. With two 6-foot-2 inch post players in senior Kristen Ruchti and junior Dana Lewis, the Panthers played a 2-3 zone to slow them down. The Panthers packed into the paint and Harding made them pay.
"We have been zoned a lot lately and we haven't been hitting shots," Harding said. "Tonight we were hitting shots."
The Panthers held both Ruchti and Lewis scoreless in the first quarter, but Harding's three 3-pointers softened the zone.
"We have seen plenty of 2-3 (zone) lately," Brodhead coach Chris Medenwaldt said. "We have guards capable of hitting those shots. We expect (Harding) to do that. We expect all of them to be able to do that. It's great when you hit three of them."
The Cardinals broke the game open with a 15-1 second quarter run. Ruchti, who scored six points and had seven rebounds, scored back-to-back baskets down low. Fellow senior Courtney Mielke nailed a pull-up jumper in the lane and drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key at 2 minutes, 57 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 30-6 lead. The Cardinals' 24-point lead was never in jeopardy the rest of the way.
"We came into the second quarter thinking we had to do everything right," Harding said. "We had to work it the way we do in practice. We tend to play down a lot of times when our competition is not the greatest team."
There was no letdown from the Cardinals in the second half.
Brodhead junior Amanda Johnson gave the Cardinals a spark, scoring nine second half points and adding three steals. Johnson came up with a steal and drove in for a layup to give the Cardinals an insurmountable 41-14 lead.
Lewis scored nine points and senior Leah Hegi added seven points.
"I'm starting to grow with more confidence in Amanda because she is growing more confidence on the floor," Medenwaldt said. "It's nice to keep the intensity up on both sides of the floor with a point guard who doesn't always get the minutes early in the game."
Harding scored nine of her team-high 10 points in the first quarter to help the Cardinals roll to a 58-26 win over Palmyra-Eagle.
Brodhead (9-3, 8-1 Rock Valley South) isn't a stranger when it comes to playing against zone defenses. With two 6-foot-2 inch post players in senior Kristen Ruchti and junior Dana Lewis, the Panthers played a 2-3 zone to slow them down. The Panthers packed into the paint and Harding made them pay.
"We have been zoned a lot lately and we haven't been hitting shots," Harding said. "Tonight we were hitting shots."
The Panthers held both Ruchti and Lewis scoreless in the first quarter, but Harding's three 3-pointers softened the zone.
"We have seen plenty of 2-3 (zone) lately," Brodhead coach Chris Medenwaldt said. "We have guards capable of hitting those shots. We expect (Harding) to do that. We expect all of them to be able to do that. It's great when you hit three of them."
The Cardinals broke the game open with a 15-1 second quarter run. Ruchti, who scored six points and had seven rebounds, scored back-to-back baskets down low. Fellow senior Courtney Mielke nailed a pull-up jumper in the lane and drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key at 2 minutes, 57 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 30-6 lead. The Cardinals' 24-point lead was never in jeopardy the rest of the way.
"We came into the second quarter thinking we had to do everything right," Harding said. "We had to work it the way we do in practice. We tend to play down a lot of times when our competition is not the greatest team."
There was no letdown from the Cardinals in the second half.
Brodhead junior Amanda Johnson gave the Cardinals a spark, scoring nine second half points and adding three steals. Johnson came up with a steal and drove in for a layup to give the Cardinals an insurmountable 41-14 lead.
Lewis scored nine points and senior Leah Hegi added seven points.
"I'm starting to grow with more confidence in Amanda because she is growing more confidence on the floor," Medenwaldt said. "It's nice to keep the intensity up on both sides of the floor with a point guard who doesn't always get the minutes early in the game."
