Krueger leads with 20 for Lone Tree in win over Highland

By Giovanni Coronel
Posted 1/18/23

There was no shortage of spectators in attendance at this Southeast Iowa Super Conference matchup between Lone Tree and the Highland in Riverside. In a competitive game through three quarters the …

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Krueger leads with 20 for Lone Tree in win over Highland

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There was no shortage of spectators in attendance at this Southeast Iowa Super Conference matchup between Lone Tree and the Highland in Riverside. In a competitive game through three quarters the visiting Lions were able to snatch victory over the Huskies, 51-38 on January 13,  thanks to its impressive offensive performance in the fourth quarter.

With this win the Lady Lions improve to a 9-6 record on the season and raise its conference play record to 5-4. After this loss the Huskies now sit at a 5-8 record on the season and now have a conference play record of 4-6. To start the first quarter Lone Tree went on a 7-0, courtesy of shots made by sophomore forward Rylee Shield, senior guard Riley Krueger, and freshman guard Finley Jacque. Not daunted by this run Highland was able to battle back and end the first quarter only trailing by three points, 10-7.

In the second quarter Highland was able to take a single point lead after going on a 6-2 run. The shot that gave the Huskies the one-point advantage was a nifty reverse layup skillfully made by junior Sarah Burton. 

This was the first time Highland took a lead in the game but it would not last for long, because Lone Tree responded with a three-pointer from Krueger. As the first half wound down the difference between both teams points were still close and the second quarter ended with Lone Tree hanging on to a two point lead, 19-17.

After halftime it was the players who wore the number four, Burton for Highland and Krueger for Lone Tree, that shined in the third quarter. After Burton scored two-straight baskets, and a two-pointer from Highland senior forward Jessica Kraus, the game was knotted up at 23-23 but Kruger broke the tie with a three-pointer. 

Burton would respond by scoring another two-points, but not to be outdone Krueger proceeded to make back-to-back shots beyond the three point arc. As the third quarter came to an end, Lone Tree found themselves with a three-point lead, 34-31. 

Going on a 12-2 run in the fourth quarter, Lone Tree was finally able to distance itself from Highland in points. Ultimately outscoring the Huskies 17-7 in the final quarter the Lions were able to play good team defense, forcing many turnovers. 

“We shot ourselves in the foot constantly with turnovers, lack of identifying shooters and lack of rebounding,” Highland coach Jody Fink said. “We didn’t keep them off the offensive glass. Offensively we got others involved and did some nice things, but we can’t trade baskets with anyone and expect to come out on top.”

Leading all scorers on the night with 20 points was Krueger of Lone Tree. She shot very well from the three-point arc, sinking in six three-pointers. Krueger also grabbed six rebounds and stole the ball three times. 

The second leading scorer for the Lions with 18 points was Jacque. She stole the ball a team high nine times, with one of those steals in the fourth quarter leading to a fast-break layup. Jacque also was nearly perfect from the free-throw line, going five-for-six from the charity stripe. 

Burton was the leading scorer for Highland on the night, with 17 points. She secured a double double on the night by being very proficient at nabbing rebounds, leading all players with 18 boards. Burton also recorded four steals and three blocks. 

 

Lone Tree 52, Columbus 33

Earlier in the week the Lions were able to claim victory on its home court over conference foe Columbus by virtue of a 52-33 win, on January 10. 

Being able to score into the double digits in every quarter except for the first quarter, where they scored nine points, Lone Tree was able to keep Columbus at bay throughout the whole game.

The second quarter was the highest scoring quarter for the Lions, 17 points, and that impressive offensive display gave Lone Tree a comfortable 26-12 lead going into halftime. In the final frame Columbus was finally able to score double digits in a quarter, but it was too little too late and the Lady Lions were able to secure a 19 point win. 

Exceeding 20 points and leading all scorers was Lone Tree freshman Finely Jacque. Scoring 23 points in total Jacque shot 80% from the three-point arc, going four-for-five on the night. She was also perfect from the free-throw line, shooting three-for-three and recorded three steals. 

The second leading scorer for Lone Tree was freshman forward Alyson Ford, with eight points. Ford was also prominent on the defensive side of the ball by blocking six shots over the course of the game. She also proved her versatility by grabbing 11 rebounds, leading the team.  

Lone Tree (9-6) will be the host for its next game when Hillcrest (0-13) arrives on January 17. This will be the second time these fellow conference members will face off this season with the Lions being the victors of the first game on December 6, with a final score of 41-24.