LEON — Humboldt High’s girls took the teamwork approach to heart Monday.
The Lady Cubs received contributions from up and down the lineup to wrap up the 2024-25 regular season with a 54-49 win over Leon-Bluestem.
The win, in Humboldt’s regular season finale, gives the Lady Cubs a 13-6 record headed into the Class 3A Substate Tournament. Humboldt is the eighth seed and will host Riverton at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Humboldt Community Fieldhouse. The winner advances to next Tuesday’s semifinal round March 4 against either top seed Girard (16-2) or No. 16 Baxter Springs (1-18). The championship game will be March 7 at Columbus High School, with a berth in the state tournament on the line.
Lady Cub head coach Aubrey Jones had some concerns headed into Monday’s tilt because of the weather break.
Some hot shooting from Bluestem early gave the Lions a 14-11 lead after one.
Humboldt stayed within 23-21 at halftime before Chanlynn Wrestler caught fire in the third quarter. The Humboldt senior drained three 3-pointers in the quarter as Humboldt forged ahead, 40-38.
“Chan shot lights out,” Jones said.
With Wrestler opening things up outside, it allowed Humboldt to go back inside to senior Shelby Shaughnessy, who scored seven in the fourth quarter to keep Humboldt on top.
But those were hardly the only two contributors.
Laney Hull and Karingten Hall spearheaded Humboldt’s defense down the stretch, while Anna Heisler’s second-quarter shooting gave the Lady Cubs a badly needed lift.
Skylar Hottenstein and Jo Ellison combined to hit 7 of 8 free throws as well.
“It was an all-around team win,” Jones said.
Hottenstein led the way with 15 points, followed by Wrestler with 12, Hottenstein with eight, then Hall and Ellison with seven each.
The Lions’ Tinley Lovesee kept things interesting with her marksmanship. The Bluestem senior hit six 3-pointers en route to a game-high 23 points. The Lions hit 10 3-pointers.
Humboldt (11-10-19-14—54)
FG/3pt FT F TP
Hall 3 1 0 7
Hottenstein 3 2 2 8
Jones 0 0 2 0
Wrestler 0/4 0 0 12
Heisler 1/1 0 1 5
Shaughnessy 7 1 0 15
Hillmon 0 0 1 0
Hull 0 0 3 0
Ellison 1 5 1 7
Totals 15/5 9 10 54
Bluestem (14-19-15-11—49)
Kieffer 2/2 0 1 10
Eagleson 1/2 4 1 9
Lovesee 2/6 1 3 23
Carleton 1 1 4 3
Caywood 0 0 2 0
Worrell 0 1 5 1
Totals 6/10 7 16 49
