HUMBOLDT — The difference between the first and second half Tuesday evening was night and day — good news for the Humboldt Cubs, bad news for the Yates Center Wildcats.
Following a close first half performance from both teams, Humboldt broke the game wide open in the second to overcome Yates Center 60-34.
“We were pretty flat in the first half,” head coach David Taylor said. “But, I honestly don’t know if it was us playing poorly or just them playing pretty good.”
The Cubs got off to a limp, literally, as Justin Meins was on the floor with a twisted ankle just 45 seconds into the matchup — he would not return to the game.
Both teams started slow, with Humboldt on top after the first, 11-4. Whatever kept the Cubs ahead for the first half, Jacob Carpenter had a hand on it. He was dominant in the paint, with eight points consecutively in the second quarter. Taylor noted his improvement throughout the season.
“He just does what is asked of him and has really improved,” he said.
Carpenter’s effort, along with Hunter Murrow and Kason Siemens, had the Cubs on top 28-19 at the break.
“At that point, it was all about getting into the rhythm,” coach Taylor said going into the third — somewhat of an understatement.
It also seemed to be the Kason Siemens show for a large part of the second half. He had a respectable eight points in the first half, but tripled that amount by the end of the game with 16 more points in the second. He led the team with 24 points — 12 of which came of treys.
Carpenter followed up Siemens with 14 points, followed by Hunter Murrow with 11. Trevor Chism led for the Wildcats with 23, followed by Caleb DeNoon and Myles Dice with seven apiece.
The Cubs gear up for Erie at home Friday.
Yates Center 4-15-9-6—34
Humboldt 11-17-19-13—60
Yates Center (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): McGee 1-0-2-2, Chism 1/3-1-1-12, Splechter 1-0-0-2, DeNoon 2-3-1-7, Schemper 0-0-1-0, McNett 1-0-3-2, Dice 3-1-5-7, Busteed 1-0-0-2. TOTALS: 10/3-5-11-34.
Humboldt (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Vanatta 2-0-1-4, H. Murrow 1/2-3-0-11, Carpenter 6-2-3-14, A. Murrow 1-0-3-2, Sellman 0-0-1-0, D’Armond 1-0-0-2, Pulliam 1-1-3-3, Siemens 3/4-6-2-24. TOTALS 15/6-12-13-60.
Cubs roll past Wildcats
