After watching a three-point lead slip away in a loss last week to Prairie View, Osawatomie senior Rebecca Fisher knew Tuesday’s home game against Wellsville was more about getting back on track than focusing on her individual point total.
“We were more disappointed than we were mad, because we really thought that was a game that we could win,” she said. “We just let it slip away.”
Osawatomie got back on track in a big way Tuesday with Fisher leading the charge. She scored 23 of her game-high 28 points during the first half, leading the Trojans to a 58-28 rout of the Wellsville Eagles.
The rust from not playing a game in seven days showed up early for Osawatomie as the Trojans led by just two points, 8-6, three minutes into the contest.
It was all Trojans the rest of the way with Fisher proceeding to take control.
For as much as Osawatomie struggled to defend the paint and attack the gaps on Wellsville’s defense early, Fisher had already warmed up from the field, making one 3-pointer as well as a four-foot runner. She continued her offensive onslaught with six more threes during the first half before making her eighth three with two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
“Most of the shots that I took, I was wide open,” she said. “I really didn’t have anybody on me.”
This game was over by halftime as Osawatomie out-hustled Wellsville to track down loose balls and rebounds on its way to cruising to a 38-8 lead at intermission. The Trojans finished with a 22-12 advantage on the boards during the first half and forced the Eagles into committing 10 turnovers.
“The first half, we had a tremendous effort in getting to those 50-50 balls,” Osawatomie coach Don Blanchat said. “Our defensive rebounding was great. We also got in and got some offensive rebounds. Kandice Firley had a couple of putbacks. Britnie Wright always comes up with a few, and Tayler Soucie is always a threat to come up with a lot. Our effort was great.”
Soucie finished with eight points. Wright and Courtney Kilbourn each had six points. Firley had four, Brittany Whitley had three, Cayley Fenoughty had two, and Morgan Pope made a free throw.
Osawatomie (10-7) continued to build on its lead during the second half, taking its largest advantage of the contest at 58-18 when Fenoughty sank a pair of free throws with 6:34 remaining in the fourth quarter.
With a large lead to work with, Osawatomie’s reserves received extended playing time with all of its starters watching the action from the bench during the fourth quarter.
With the win, Osawatomie clinched a first-round home game in the Class 4A substate tournament, set for Feb. 27-March 4.
“We played really good tonight, but we need to step it up even more for substate because we are going to play some really tough teams,” Fisher said.
