The Cardinals girls basketball team has jumped out to a 3-0 start after claiming a 43-31 win over Bonner Springs at home Tuesday night.
Head coach Brandon Parker said it wasn’t the prettiest game, but he was happy the team could find a way to get the win regardless.
“When you have nights like that, you’ve got to be able to defend,” he said. “And I thought we did a pretty good job. We lost a couple assignments in the game that we wanted back, but overall, we got after it.”
Seven Cardinals scored, helping the team overcome a streaky shooting night. Parker said it showed the team’s depth that all three wins featured different leading scorers.
On Tuesday night, sophomore Izzy Brunkow came alive during the second half to score 14 points and lead the Cardinals.
“Izzy was really tough,” he said. “The way that she attacked in the lane and finished on balance and strong. She had a really nice stretch there for us that helped in those runs.”
Both teams started slow on offense with the Cardinals plagued by turnovers and struggling to secure rebounds. Freshman Brynn Deterding got the scoring started for Eudora with a 3-pointer.
But it was defense that clinched the win for the Cardinals. It was a team effort, with all five players on the floor battling for loose balls and forcing turnovers.
“We definitely struggled with our shots, but our defense as a group was really good,” Brunkow said.
Transition points continued to bolster the Cardinals, as they used their speed to snag steals and turn them into points at the other end. Freshman Karley Owens pick-pocketed a Bonner Springs player and streaked down the court for an easy layup.
“All teams have, like, that one person that we all focus on,” junior Avery Warren said. “But for us, we have, like, a variety, and we all can hit shots in different places and do more for the team.”
Early in the second quarter the Braves built up some momentum, but a pair of transition buckets, a Deterding 3-pointer and a clutch bucket and free throw from Brunkow helped the Cardinals build up a 18-13 lead at halftime that they held onto for the rest of the game.
The team will be back home Thursday night to take on Tonganoxie.
“We need to stay aggressive and definitely box out a lot for the rebounds,” Warren said. “Because rebounds have been killing us lately, but we definitely need to work on that.”
Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]
