ALBANY - The only motivation Albany junior Payton Zurfluh needed was seeing the black and purple jerseys of Juda Tuesday night.
She had the game against Juda circled on her calendar. Zurfluh scored a game-high 15 points and led the Comets to a 49-34 win over the Panthers.
"We really wanted to win this game," Zurfluh said. "They beat us three times last year and we were really motivated and wanted this one. Our energy was really good tonight. We knew we had to have this one."
Albany (5-8, 3-3 Six Rivers East) played like it from the opening tip with a 24-6 run to start the game. Comets senior Hailey Freitag scored down low and Zurfluh knocked down two 3-pointers during the surge. Zurfluh scored 10 of her 15 points in the first half. Albany senior Madeline Halverson scored on a putback and sophomore Kristin O'Bel had a steal and layup to give the Comets a 21-6 lead with 7 minutes, 36 seconds left in the first half. Zurfluh drilled her second 3-pointer of the first half to give the Comets an 18-point lead.
"I feel like we tried to get it inside early on," Albany coach Derik Doescher said. "We have some post players with some height who can do some damage. Payton hit a couple of 3s and that opened up some space for our post players. We just shot it well for a spurt and that catapulted us to the lead."
After going 4-19 last season, the Comets have already surpassed their win total this year (5) halfway through the conference season.
"I think we all know it's the last year for the seniors," Zurfluh said. "We all know our time is ticking. We all want to be a better team."
The Comets used a 2-3 zone defense and the Panthers struggled shooting from the outside. Albany led at the half 26-12. The Panthers were playing without senior Maddie Roth, who has missed the last several games due to an ankle injury.
"We just can't score 12 points in the first half and win games," Juda coach Curt Brown said. "We couldn't put the ball in the basket. When you dig yourself that big of a hole you can try to come out of it, but we were not able to make it. We haven't had Maddie Roth for a month. We should be used to playing without her. Hopefully, when Maddie comes back it will give us a boost."
Albany led by as many as 19 points in the second half. Juda (5-8, 2-4 Six Rivers East) chipped away at the deficit. Juda junior Hannah Powers scored down low and senior Erika Duecker scored on two putbacks to help the Panthers slice the Comets' lead to 31-22 with 10:50 left in the second half. Moments later, Juda senior MacKenzie Byrne, who scored a team-high 10 points, hit a jumper that trimmed the Comets' lead to seven points, 37-30.
"Byrne is a really good point guard and she's so quick," Doescher said. "We came out in a 2-3 zone because we wanted to take the ball out of Byrne's hands. We wanted to make her give the ball up and make someone else beat us."
That's as close as the Panthers would get. Freitag knocked down a critical jumper and the Comets made 6 of 11 free throws in the final 4 minutes to maintain the lead. Albany pulled away despite committing nine turnovers in the second half.
Albany junior Libby Beck added 9 points and senior Brook Kahler chipped in 8. The Comets shot 65.2 percent from the free-throw line (15 of 23) and the Panthers shot 42.8 percent from the charity stripe (6 of 14).
"We are learning how to win games," Doescher said. "We made our free throws down the stretch."
Duecker added 9 points and junior Karlee Kesler chipped in 6 for the Panthers.
"It was just more movement on offense in the second half seeing it through and making the extra pass," Brown said. "It was better in the second half, but it just wasn't enough."
She had the game against Juda circled on her calendar. Zurfluh scored a game-high 15 points and led the Comets to a 49-34 win over the Panthers.
"We really wanted to win this game," Zurfluh said. "They beat us three times last year and we were really motivated and wanted this one. Our energy was really good tonight. We knew we had to have this one."
Albany (5-8, 3-3 Six Rivers East) played like it from the opening tip with a 24-6 run to start the game. Comets senior Hailey Freitag scored down low and Zurfluh knocked down two 3-pointers during the surge. Zurfluh scored 10 of her 15 points in the first half. Albany senior Madeline Halverson scored on a putback and sophomore Kristin O'Bel had a steal and layup to give the Comets a 21-6 lead with 7 minutes, 36 seconds left in the first half. Zurfluh drilled her second 3-pointer of the first half to give the Comets an 18-point lead.
"I feel like we tried to get it inside early on," Albany coach Derik Doescher said. "We have some post players with some height who can do some damage. Payton hit a couple of 3s and that opened up some space for our post players. We just shot it well for a spurt and that catapulted us to the lead."
After going 4-19 last season, the Comets have already surpassed their win total this year (5) halfway through the conference season.
"I think we all know it's the last year for the seniors," Zurfluh said. "We all know our time is ticking. We all want to be a better team."
The Comets used a 2-3 zone defense and the Panthers struggled shooting from the outside. Albany led at the half 26-12. The Panthers were playing without senior Maddie Roth, who has missed the last several games due to an ankle injury.
"We just can't score 12 points in the first half and win games," Juda coach Curt Brown said. "We couldn't put the ball in the basket. When you dig yourself that big of a hole you can try to come out of it, but we were not able to make it. We haven't had Maddie Roth for a month. We should be used to playing without her. Hopefully, when Maddie comes back it will give us a boost."
Albany led by as many as 19 points in the second half. Juda (5-8, 2-4 Six Rivers East) chipped away at the deficit. Juda junior Hannah Powers scored down low and senior Erika Duecker scored on two putbacks to help the Panthers slice the Comets' lead to 31-22 with 10:50 left in the second half. Moments later, Juda senior MacKenzie Byrne, who scored a team-high 10 points, hit a jumper that trimmed the Comets' lead to seven points, 37-30.
"Byrne is a really good point guard and she's so quick," Doescher said. "We came out in a 2-3 zone because we wanted to take the ball out of Byrne's hands. We wanted to make her give the ball up and make someone else beat us."
That's as close as the Panthers would get. Freitag knocked down a critical jumper and the Comets made 6 of 11 free throws in the final 4 minutes to maintain the lead. Albany pulled away despite committing nine turnovers in the second half.
Albany junior Libby Beck added 9 points and senior Brook Kahler chipped in 8. The Comets shot 65.2 percent from the free-throw line (15 of 23) and the Panthers shot 42.8 percent from the charity stripe (6 of 14).
"We are learning how to win games," Doescher said. "We made our free throws down the stretch."
Duecker added 9 points and junior Karlee Kesler chipped in 6 for the Panthers.
"It was just more movement on offense in the second half seeing it through and making the extra pass," Brown said. "It was better in the second half, but it just wasn't enough."
