PREP ROUNDUP: Oran, SCC advance through first round of Delta New Years Tourney

DELTA -- Not many teams are successful when trying to run with the Oran girls basketball team.

Puxico learned that lesson the hard way Wednesday night, falling to the Eagles 70-34 in the first round of the Delta New Years Tournament.

Oran saw a 24-7 lead trimmed to 24-16 with just under two minutes gone in the second quarter. But senior guard Chrissy Sauceda fueled a 9-0 Oran run with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, and when fellow senior Addie Kielhofner completed a conventional three-point play with just over three minutes left in the first half, the Eagles led 34-18.

It was part of a 21-2 Oran run to close the half, which ended with the Eagles leading 45-18.

"That's what we want to do," said Oran coach Ethan Evans, whose team improved to 5-2. "We want to push it up the floor. I kind of like it when other teams want to do that, because when it gets closer later in the game, we're gonna be able to push it and wear the other team down."

Kielhofner had six steals in the first half alone, totalling 17 of her-game high 23 points over the first 16 minutes, mostly on uncontested layups.

"That was not good to get in a hole there," said Kielhofner about Puxico's run to open the second quarter. "Once we got used to it, we went back to our same game, and we figured it out anyway."

Evans figured the long layoff between games -- the holiday break coupled with the recent inclement weather that extended the break well into this past week -- was partly responsible for the Eagles' early showing.

"We haven't played since Dec. 19th, and you could really tell," he said. "With school being in and out like it has been, getting everybody together in practice has been a little tough.

"That second quarter, I kind of wanted to get some of our girls farther down the bench some experience, see how they would react, because we're gonna need all the depth we can get to try to get past Woodland (Thursday). But I was proud with the way our girls rallied together and came back that second quarter."

Sauceda, who started the half-ending run with a 3-pointer, finished with 16 points, including four 3-pointers.

"It is so hard to get back into it," Sauceda said. "With the snow, you can't practice, and it's hard to get back in there and get conditioned. To scrimmage, even, it gets hard."

Although Puxico had some initial success keeping pace with the Eagles, it was short-lived.

"We were just kind of out-matched," said Luxico coach Jordan Lindsay. "Coming out of the Christmas break, I've got to say, that's probably the worst I've seen us play. However, we weren't ready for them. They're quick, and we couldn't match up."

Danielle Roberts led Puxico (3-4) with 17 points.

"We try to push the ball, but not to that extent," said Lindsay "We have a lot of trouble with teams like that. They took us out of game completely. We didn't run our offense, we didn't play much defense, we just weren't ready for them."

Oran advances to meet Woodland tonight at 8:30 p.m., with the winner facing the winner of Saxony Lutheran-Scott County Central on Friday at 8 p.m. for the championship.

Puxico faces Meadow Heights tonight at 5:30 in a consolation semifinal.

PUXICO (34) -- Danielle Roberts 17, Gabby Clark 5, Katelyn Pierre 10, Nikki Richmond 2. FG: 13. FT: 6-8. Total fouls: 10. (3-pointers: Roberts 1, Clark 1. Fouled out: none.)

ORAN (70) -- Addie Kielhofner 23, Ashlyn McIntosh 9, Taylor Nenninger 10, Allie Cummins 4, Tatum May 2, Chrissy Sauceda 16, Kaylen Glastetter 2, Tony Hency 2, H. Scherer 2. FG: 30. FT: 6-5. Total fouls: 10. (3-pointers: Sauceda 4. Fouled out: none.)

Scott County Central 69, St. Vincent 43

No. 4 seed Scott County Central defeated No. 5 St. Vincent 69-43 in the nightcap of the Delta New Years Tournament at Delta High School.

Senior Mikaela Blissett led the Bravettes with 24 points while Johniqua Fort and Derien Ditto added 16 points each.

Kattie Mattingly paced St. Vincent with 14 points.

The Bravettes and the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders will meet in a semifinal at 7 p.m. tonight while Delta and St. Vincent will play in a consolation semifinal at 4 p.m.

ST. VINCENT (43) -- Kylie Baer 6, Paige Yamnitz 2, Alexana Kolshor 9, Rachel Mudd 5, Casey Unterreiner 7, Katie Mattingly 14. FG 19, FT 4-8, F 9. (3-pointers: Mudd 1. Fouled out: none)

SCOTT COUNTY CENTRAL (69) -- Mikaela Blissett 24, LaQuisha Stickland 5, Johniqua Fort 16, Derien Ditto 16, Ziare Davis 4, Abby Ross 4. FG 29, FT 8-12, F 11. (3-pointers: Strickland 1, Fort 1, Ditto 1. Fouled out: none)

Saxony Lutheran 83, Delta 11

The top-seeded Saxony Lutheran girls basketball team raced to a 32-2 lead after one period and went on to post an easy 83-11 victory over host and No. 8 seed Delta in the Delta New Years Classic on Wednesday.

Grave Mirley led four players scoring in double figures for the Crusaders with 19 points. Tess Daniel added 15 points for Saxony (6-2), which led 51-6 at the half.

DELTA (11) -- Alysha Vessells 2, Tia May 2, Chasity Taylor 3, Jaime Hodge 2, Rachel Birkman 2. FG: 5. FT: 1-1. Total fouls: 8. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none)

SAXONY LUTHERAN (83) -- Grace Mirly 19, Jordan Hecht 4, Maci Daniel 10, Ali Galemmo 6, Brianna Mueller 12, Tess Daniel 15, Ashlynn Collier 6, Rachel Wieser 7, Maddi Brune 3. FG: 35. FT: 8-10. Total fouls: 10. (3-pointers: Mirly 4, Wieser 1. Fouled out: none)

Woodland 70, Meadow Heights 42

Josie Long scored a game-high 35 points to lead No. 2 Woodland past No. 7 Meadow Heights 70-42.

Hayley Thorne led the Lady Panthers with 15.

MEADOW HEIGHTS (42) -- Kylee Whitener 3, Abi Bristow 7, Kiana Hotop 8, Lauren Manning 1, Emma Cook 6, Hayley Thorne 15, Jacque Starkey 2. FG: 12. FT: 16-25. Total fouls: 16. (3-pointers: Whitener 1, Bristow 1. Fouled out: none.)

WOODLAND (70) -- Whitney Lincoln 2, Josie Long 35, Kat Cooper 14, Taylor Toombs 3, Rachel Poole 3, Shelby Sawyer 9, Lindsey Craft 4. FG: 26. FT: 12-23. Total fouls: 20. (3-pointers: Long 3, Cooper 2, Toombs 1. Fouled out: none.)

Girls Basketball

Kelly 41, Chaffee 40

The Kelly Lady Hawks earned a close win at home to improve to 5-4 this season.

Morgan LeDure led Kelly with 11 points while Payton Jones had 10 rebounds.

The Lady Devils were paced by Lindsey Harrell, who scored 14 points before fouling out.

CHAFFEE (40) -- Julia Sutterfield 10, Jordan Pruitt 8, Hannah Seyer 4, Lindsey Harrell 14, Dakota People 4. FG 11, FT 18-28, F 18. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: Harrell)

KELLY (41) -- Samantha Ratledge 6, Morgan LeDure 11, Kaylee Scherer 7, Tessa Johnson 2, Stephanie Worth 4, Kristi Brucker 4, Payton Jones 1, Logan Ivie 6. FG 18, FT 4-18, F 19. (3-pointers: LeDure 1. Fouled out: Ratledge, Worth)