HUMBOLDT — Lakota Wilson’s 18-point performance helped Humboldt High’s girls basketball team grind out a 43-35 win over Jayhawk-Linn Monday night in the first round of Humboldt’s Class 3A Substate Bracket. Humboldt 43, Jayhawk-Linn 35
“We survived and did what we needed to do to come out with a win,” coach Aubrey Jones said.
The game started with a 4-0 run by Jayhawk-Linn. Wilson helped erase the Jayhawk lead with an eight-point quarter. Makaylah McCall scored three. The Lady Cubs led 11-6 after the first quarter and looked as if they were going to pull away.
Both teams were stuck in the mud in the second quarter. Wilson started the second with a quick baseline drive for the layup to give Humboldt a 13-6 lead with 7:30 left. After that, it was slow going for both teams. Each scored seven points.
Holding only a two-point 15-13 lead, Humboldt got a much-needed boost from Annalise Whitcomb. She nailed a jumper and was fouled in the process, making the free throw to give the Lady Cubs an 18-13 lead with 2:50 left in the half. Neither team scored another basket in the quarter and went into halftime with the same score.
Three minutes into the second half and the Jayhawks were on the cusp of overtaking Humboldt. Jayhawk-Linn’s Brianna Francis ordered up a steal-layup combo to pull the Jayhawks to within one point at 20-19 in favor of Humboldt.
A two-minute dry spell was broken by Wilson who hit a jumper to give Humboldt some breathing room with a 22-19 lead. With 1:30 left, McCall made one of two free throws and gave the Lady Cubs a two possession lead at 23-19. Free throws didn’t come easily for either team. Humboldt shot 7-21 from the line compared to Jayhawk-Linn’s 13-23 performance.
“Everything was hard to come by, we missed a lot of stuff,” Jones said. “But, it was just them sort of gutting it out and doing what they needed to do to get the win.”
The Jayhawks refused to go away and Humboldt held a 25-23 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The score knotted up at 28-28 after the Jayhawks scored hit free throws in the first two minutes of the fourth.
Humboldt then made its move to pull ahead. Wilson got the steal and looked to get a quick layup. She missed, but Whitcomb was trailing and scored on the putback. Brook Turner followed with a jumper. Wilson and Whitcomb each went to the line and made one free throw. The Lady Cubs held a 34-28 lead with 2:45 to go.
After a pair of Jayhawk free throws, McCall answered for Humboldt. Instead of making the easy play and passing to an open player on the wing, McCall elected to drive the lane. She made an acrobatic lay-up, while fouled. She didn’t hit the free throw, but the Lady Cubs led 36-30 with 2:10 left.
The Jayhawks went on a three-point run, reducing the Lady Cubs’ lead to three. Wilson then took over for Humboldt.
She drove through the lane, was fouled and hit the free throw. She then scored from underneath the hoop. After a basket by Jayhawk-Linn, Humboldt led 41-35 with 22 second left. Wilson helped ice the game with a full-court, inbound pass to Turner, who missed the layup. But, Whitcomb was backing Turner up and scored on the putback to end the game with the 43-35 spread.
Humboldt was 5-15 overall last season. This year, they doubled their wins compared to losses. Humboldt improves to 14-7.
“We talked at the start of the season that whatever they were willing to put into it, they would get out of it,” Jones said. “They have worked very hard. I expected it, but I don’t know if anyone else did.”
Humboldt plays Burlington Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Burlington beat Erie 56-32 on Monday night. The winner moves on to the substate championship Saturday.
Humboldt (11-7-7-18—43) (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Umholtz 0-0-2-0, Wells 0-0-2-0, Turner 2-1-2-5, Wilhite 0-0-3-0, McCall 5-1-3-11, English 0-1-3-1, Whitcomb 3-2-2-8, Kline 0-0-3-0, Wilson 8-2-0-18
Jayhawk-Linn (6-7-10-12—35) (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Northcutt 0-0-1-0, Bogan 2-1-3-5, Tingler 0-0-1-0, Coffel 2-2-3-6, Broyles 4-1-3-9, Sludor 0-0-1-0, Francis 0-1-1-1, Ware 2-6-4-10, Pointer 0-0-1-0, Scott 1-2-1-4
Lady Cubs grind out substate win over Jayhawks
