Before you knew it, Highland controlled an 8-0 commanding lead in the first quarter before Pekin could manage two free throw shots and end the first quarter down 14-2.

It was a dominant start to the game and Highland held onto this lead for the entirety of the game, winning 46-24.

Highland senior, Katelyn Waters, executed a good game, controlling play and having numerous scoring chances, steals and exuding many leadership qualities on the court.

“Katelyn [Waters] had a good offensive game, probably her best of the season so far but I mean overall, we just had a good team game,” Head Coach, Jody Fink said.

Despite Waters controlling play, it was Junior, Sarah Burton, who scored the bulk of the points with 18. Senior, Jessica Kraus, along with Waters had ten apiece.

Head coach, Jody Fink, was impressed by the win and labeled it as a team effort. The team has grown a lot to be able to work as a team and that shows improvement throughout the season, the most important thing a coach and team could ask for.

“It was just a great team win, I mean, we played as a full team all year, so coming up at the right time of the season, here coming up at the end, we get a little bit of cohesiveness there and to be able to look for everybody,” Fink said.

The Huskies played a tight game where passing seemed to be a big focus of their game plan. Waters could be seen zipping the ball past defenders in certain instances and making soft dribble passes when defense was tight.

In the second quarter, Pekin had the ball, primed to score, until Burton stole an errant pass and stormed down the court, hitting a layup with much defensive pressure to her side.

The scoring onslaught of the Huskies seemed to confuse and anger the Pekin Panthers, as in the second quarter, three interjected, fighting over the same ball, failing to realize they are all wearing the same jersey.

After a brief time in the locker room, the Huskies came back onto the court, all smiles after leading 26-9 at halftime.

Kraus was another player who impressed. She was always in the action, no matter what side of the court she was on. In the third quarter, she stole a pass from the Panthers and set up a failed scoring chance for her teammates.

The visiting Panthers did have some moments to shine, but overall, their efforts did not pay off. At one point in the third, Senior Claire Roth stole a Huskie pass and had her own breakaway, scoring an easy layup, all by her lonesome.

As the final moments came creeping up, the Huskies had a dominant enough lead to pull their starters and let the kids on the bench finish out the game. It is bittersweet seeing the reserves come in; everyone wants them to score, and they struggle to do so.

The Highland bench was erupting in applause as the Highland back-ups threatened to score numerous times. You would have thought those shots were life or death, instead they were garbage time baskets.

The Huskies are now on a bit of a win streak, with their second in a row and four of the last five. It is a breaking point in their season as they start to come together and play better as a team.

“We got to communicate better,” Fink said. “We did a better job of identifying shooters and closing out, but defensively, we got to sit there and not give up any more offensive rebounds and giving up some easy put backs. Those are things we just need to continue to look at, and then not turning the ball over.”

Looking Ahead:

 Highland will host Wapello at 6 P.M. on Friday, Jan. 27.

GAME STATS

Highland 46, Pekin 24

Highland      14   12     12    8  --  46

Pekin         2       7      12     3  --   24