Trailing visiting Kenyon-Wanamingo by 14 points at halftime, it looked like the varsity girls might make a comeback, but they missed inside shots while the Knights continued to control the offensive boards en route to a 61-42 win that spoiled the Clippers’ season opener on Monday.
Rebounding was the biggest pain point for the Clippers, said assistant coach Myrriah Rutz, who guided the Clippers in head coach Joe Remiger’s absence
“I thought we moved the ball well, but offensively, we need to keep going for the rebound, even when it looks like their going to get it.”
After the Knights made a free throw, Taylor McCabe stole at half court and put in a layup to get the Clippers on the board. McCabe grabbed a defensive rebound and took it down court for another layup that put the Clippers in front 4-1.
But the Knights put an offensive rebound back up for two points to start a 15-point spurt that featured a pair of threes and a steal for a basket for a 16-4 advantage.
Addi Holden put in a jumper from the lane to break up the run, and McCabe took a handoff from her sister Lacey McCabe for a layup, but the Knights responded with another three.
Ava Hahn got on the scoreboard when she hauled in a defensive rebound, drove the length of the floor and put in a layup, but the clippers still trailed 19-10.
Later, Hahn assisted Lacey McCabe on an inside bucket, and Holden dropped in a jumper form the baseline, but after Lacey McCabe assisted Hahn on jump shot and Mollie Bowman put in the first of two free shots, the Knights stole and scored to lead 31-17 at the break.
Taylor McCabe made another steal just across the mid-court line and scored on a layup, and sister Lacey drove the baseline for a bucket for the first two points of the second half, but the Clippers, although continuing to steal, missed some easy layups after.
With a pair of Hahn layups, the Clippers were within 10, 35-25, but the Knights stopped the threat with 13 of the next 15 points for a cozy 46-27 lead.
“They just wouldn’t fall for us, and that kind of rose the frustration level a little bit, and we couldn’t quite recover from it,” Rutz said.
Holden put in another jumper, Lacey McCabe drove the baseline for a basket, Bowman spun inside for two, and Kaitlyn Flowers dropped in a pair of fee shots, but it was too little too late, and the Knights cruised to the triumph.
With a dozen points, all on baskets from inside the arc, Hahn led the effort. Taylor McCabe totaled nine points, one more than her sibling. Holden had six points, Bowman added five points, and Flowers ended the night with two points.
The Clippers didn’t make any threes and were a lackluster 10 of 22 from the charity line. Baskets from behind the arc accounted for 15 Knight points. They were six of 10 from the foul line.
“Overall, it was a good start,” Rutz said. “Some of our outside shots were going for us, and the defensive fast breaks were going for us. But we need to come together as a team, pass the ball and stay with the play, not falling off and running down court right away.
The Clippers, who only graduated two last year: Mariah McCabe and Greta Hahn, but hampered by a few underclassmen who didn’t report this season, host Martin County West tonight (Tuesday).
Above: Addi Holden releases a shot from the lane.
