Woodland wrecks Kelly in 106-67 blowout

BENTON, Mo. — Woodland ran the floor like it was a fast break drill, combining speed and sharp shooting to pile up points in a 106-67 win at Kelly on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

The Cardinals (13-1, 4-0 SCAA) turned every missed shot by the Hawks (2-13, 1-5 Scott-Mississippi) into a chance to run, launching into transition at every opportunity, where a breakneck pace made it a track meet from the opening tip.

“We came out the gate strong,” said Woodland coach Shawn Kinder. “Running the floor and sharing the basketball, that’s something this group does well. They try to find the open man and continue to put pressure on the defense by pushing it in transition. They played hard on each possession. We shot it well, which helps, and we have a lot of guys that can fill it up.”

After Kelly opened the game with a block by Grady Hall and a layup from Skyler Still, Woodland answered with a barrage of outside shooting. Lane Lee’s 3-pointer gave the Cardinals their first lead, and Calvin Layton added another triple, and the lead quickly expanded to 8-3.

From there, the offense clicked into gear, pushing the tempo and capitalizing on every chance. Dominating the boards and turning defensive rebounds into fast-break opportunities, picking apart the Hawks’ defense with surgical precision. The Cardinals led 33-14 heading into the second quarter after Lee converted a 3-point play the old-fashioned way in the final seconds of the opening frame.

“We just wanted to get a statement win,” said Korbin Kinder. “This helps us get back on track. Some of us have been in a slump shooting and tonight kind of gave us our confidence back.”

Woodland didn’t slow down one bit in the second quarter, pushing the lead to 20 on a bucket by Lee, and to 30 on a 3-pointer by Layton. The offensive explosion showed no signs of stopping as Woodland poured in 33 points in each of the first two quarters. At the break, the Cardinals held a commanding 66-37 lead.

“Every win is helpful and we’re trying to pile on as many as we can,” Layton said. “We have our conference tournament next week, hopefully, we can come out with a win there. But it’s all about being prepared for districts.”

In the second half, it was all but a formality.

The second half felt like a formality, with Woodland maintaining a relentless pace and extending the lead effortlessly, pushing ahead by 40 points as the third quarter came to a close.

With the mercy-rule running clock in effect during the fourth quarter, Kelly's reserves showed some fight, winning the period 11-10 as Landon Alexander made a pair of 3-pointers, and Tennison White provided a block.

Despite a tough season for Kelly, the night wasn’t without a positive moment. The Hawks' junior varsity team, led by the pivotal contributions of Alexander and White, improved to 11-1 with a 61-57 victory over Woodland’s 13-2 junior varsity squad.

Woodland was fueled by a team-wide offensive explosion, led by five players in double figures. Kinder (22), Layton (21), Lee (17), Jackson Shock (14), and Hayden VanGennip (12) all played a significant role in the high-scoring affair. This marked the first time the Cardinals eclipsed the century mark this season, a feat they accomplished three times last year.

For the Hawks,  Ross Peters led the way with 23 points, including four 3-pointers, and Still added 18.

Woodland will look to keep its momentum going when it hosts Bloomfield (7-6, 1-2 SCAA), while Kelly will hit the road to face Delta (7-7, 2-2 Scott-Mississippi) on Friday, Jan. 24.

__WOODLAND 106, KELLY 67__

Kelly 14 23 19 11 — 67

Woodland 33 33 30 10 — 106

Kelly (67) — Ross Peters 23, Skyler Still 18, Landon Alexander 7, Truman White 6, Grady Hall 6, Preston Appleton 3, Griffin Pass 3, Hunter Kirk 3. FG: 25. FT: 9-16. F: 10. (3-pointers: Peters 4, Alexander 2, Appleton 1, Kirk 1. Fouled out: None.)

Woodland (107) — Korbin Kinder 22, Calvin Layton 21, Lane Lee 17, Jackson Shock 14, Hayden VanGennip 12, Kamren McCormick 8, Peyton Meek 7, Andew Tarble 2, Elijah Abernathy 2, Bryer Sauls 1. FG: 47. FT: 8-11. F: 10. (3-pointers: Shock 3, Layton 3, Kinder 2, Lee 2. Fouled out: None.)