YATES CENTER — Crest High’s boys and girls both played physical games to take down Three Rivers League rival Yates Center on Friday night.
The Lancers (13-6) picked up the intensity in the second half after leading by eight points at halftime to take a big 53-34 victory over the Wildcats (5-14). Crest’s girls (9-10) outrebounded and played harder than Yates Center (3-16) under the basket in a 40-30 win.
Girls Basketball
The Lady Lancers mainly got behind the strong front court play of junior Kayla Hermreck, who scored a team-high 16 points.
It was a back and forth contest early on with the score knotted 8-8 to wrap up the first quarter. Hermreck then made a difference in the second quarter to put her Crest squad ahead by four after scoring eight points on a trio of layups.
Yates Center turned to Callyn Miller who finished the half with seven points, including a trio of two-point baskets.
“I told them when I first took over they are not a two-win team,” said Crest head coach Steve Zimmerman. “I didn’t promise them we would win a certain amount of games but I told them to hang in there, it’ll be rough in the beginning but once we get it down, we’ll be good.”
“Confidence is a big thing, I truly believe in them,” Zimmerman added.
Crest led Yates Center at halftime, 20-16.
The Lady Lancers kept their foot on the gas in the third quarter when Cursten Allen and Hermreck each banked in a couple of layups. The Wildcats responded with a Kinley Morrison three. Crest led heading to the fourth, 31-24.
Aylee Beckmon was fouled a number of times in the fourth quarter as she sank a trio of free throws and a layup to help Crest pull away. Kinley Edgerton and Hermreck also scored two-point baskets in the fourth to help pace Crest to their 40-30 victory.
Hermreck led Crest with her 16 points, followed by A. Beckmon’s nine points and Edgerton’s six. Yates Center was led offensively by Miller’s 12 points and Molly Proper’s eight.
Boys Basketball
The Crest boys also used a dominant second half to help pull away for a 19-point win on the road Friday night.
Ryan Golden was the Lancers’ go-to scorer early and often against the Wildcats as he banked in a trio of layups in the first quarter to help go ahead by four. Cash Cummings also began the night hot for Yates Center when he hit a three and a trio of two-point baskets in the first.
