After a slow start from both teams, the Kenston Bombers got a scoring boost from freshman guard Morgan Cicek that propelled them to a 37-28 win over the Chardon Hilltoppers on Jan. 7.
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After a slow start from both teams, the Kenston Bombers got a scoring boost from freshman guard Morgan Cicek that propelled them to a 37-28 win over the Chardon Hilltoppers on Jan. 7.
The first quarter was ugly for both the Bombers and the Hilltoppers. Chardon scored only seven points through the game’s first eight minutes, while the Bombers only scored one basket, a layup by senior Caroline Neimes.
Kenston Head Coach Kevin Hinkle believed that fatigue from recent games was part of the reason for his team’s slow start.
“I don’t think it was a lack of effort. It was a lack of execution,” Hinkle said. “I still think we were recovering. Some of our seniors were playing so many minutes the other night against Eastlake North in that overtime game — I think it took them a quarter to get their legs underneath them.”
Chardon Head Coach Erik Hoenigman said his Hilltoppers had planned to play with defensive intensity early in the game.
“We (planned) to defend,” Hoenigman said. “We’re going to do all the stuff that we’ve been lacking to do, us and Kenston, to win games. And today, it was tough to get points. I thought at one point that 20 points would win the game.”
The Bombers regained their energy in the second quarter as they scored 15 points and entered halftime with a 17-15 lead over Chardon. After their sloppy first quarter, Cicek and the Bombers knew they had to change their mentality.
“We just realized that we needed to change things around,” Cicek said. “It’s the second half of our season, so we’re starting out fresh and we needed to get this win.”
Cicek scored five points in the second quarter, including a play in which she got fouled while still making the layup. Her three-point play, plus tough defense, helped Kenston gain momentum.
“We realized that we needed to get some points up there,” Cicek said. “We needed to play harder, so I turned my defense on and got those steals.”
Cicek finished the match with a game-high 12 points, and Hinkle believes her impact went beyond scoring points for the Bombers.
“It wasn’t just the points she scored but the way she played the entire game,” Hinkle said. “Offensively, defensively, she hit a couple shots for us, got a spark, got to the rim, which is great to see. She struggled a bit the other night, so it was a great bounce-back for her. That was a testament to her character and her work ethic.”
Hinkle also thought that Neimes, who finished the game with eight points, helped with her aggressive play.
“She was battling inside against someone a little bit bigger than her,” Hinkle said. “She was aggressive. Even though she missed some shots in the first quarter, she stayed aggressive.”
Though Chardon was ultimately unable to defeat the Bombers, the Hilltoppers saw strong performances from senior Anna Landies and junior Nicole Krakora.
Krakora hit three three-point shots, leading the Hilltoppers with 11 points. Landies was a bit under the weather and unsure whether she would be able to play. She ended up scoring nine points for her team. Hoenigman appreciated the toughness that Landies showed.
“Anna was a game-time decision,” Hoenigman said. “We thought we’d get one quarter out of her, but then she said, ‘I’ll give another.’ That is the kind of mentality she has: she’ll give another. It wasn’t by far her best performance, but by showing she was going to play through it and gut it out, I thought she did a great job.”
With the win, Kenston improves to a 6-5 overall season, 2-3 in the Western Reserve Conference. With the loss, the Hilltoppers’ overall record falls to 3-8, 2-3 in the WRC.
