The Collinsville High School girls basketball team dug a first half hole from which they could not recover, losing 69-58 Monday to Carbondale in the Mid-Winter Basketball Invitational in Carbondale.
Kassidy Smith in action on Dec. 21 / Photo by Roger Starkey
The Lady Kahoks (4-11) outscored the Lady Terriers (10-6) 35-28 after the intermission, but it was not enough to overcome a 41-23 halftime deficit. Collinsville Head Coach Lori Billy said the team did not play well in the first half and did not execute the zone defense as well as they should.
“We got caught, we didn’t get out on their shooters,” Billy said.
McKena Miller scored 11 of her game-high 19 points in the first half for Carbondale. Achsah Greer scored 10 of her 16 in the half – all in the Lady Terriers’ 24-point second quarter.
Halftime defensive adjustments were the key to Collinsville holding the host school to nine third-quarter points, Billy said. The Lady Kahoks capitalized on several steals-for-layups by Aubreeney Brady in the third quarter, to go along with six points from Kassidy Smith, to pull within seven at one point.
Carbondale took a nine-point lead (50-41) into the final quarter and began stalling. CHS was forced to chase the ball, freeing Miller for four baskets after she was held scoreless in the third quarter. The Lady Terriers scored 19 fourth-quarter points without the benefit of a free-throw attempt and held on for the 69-58 victory.
The Lady Kahoks were hurt by 24 turnovers in the game, many of which were turned into fast break buckets for Carbondale, Billy said.
“We knew going in that if they got a steal, they were going to the basket,” Billy said. “They’ve got five really quick kids, and they push the ball up for the floor every time.”
The Collinsville scorers were: Brady-17, Smith-12, Scheiter-11, Buettner-6, Mahan-5, Brombolich-4, Beckley-2, Thompson-1
Collinsville travels back to Carbondale for a 5 p.m. game against Marion Friday. The Lady Kahoks return to the same court 17 hours later to play Mt. Vernon in a 10 a.m. Saturday contest that will be the last game for both teams in the Mid-Winter Basketball Invitational.
