Faulty third quarter plagues Huskies in 50-36 loss to Titans

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Audrey Peterson

While trailing the Titans, junior Haley Shin squares up to find an open player against Lee's Summit West on Dec. 15.

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. – The first half of the girls basketball game looked hopeful for the Huskies as they were able to convert on their interior shots and were able to tack on a couple of three-pointers from seniors Sarah Martin and Bridget Harrison early on in the game. After a late push by Lee’s Summit West, BVNW found their way into halftime trailing to Lee’s Summit West, 26-23.

Going into halftime, head coach Brian Bubalo said the team was clicking both offensively and defensively, but the turnovers for the Huskies’ offense caused issues.

“We played real well in the first half; we still had nine turnovers,” Bubalo said. “You’re going to have some turnovers, but nine is too many.”

While BVNW was able to overcome these turnovers and go into the half down by only 3 points, the Huskies would find no such luck in the second half.

The Titans came out strong in the second half as they were able to hit shots from the perimeter. Along with their shooting ability, Lee’s Summit West was able to capitalize in the paint with the size they had down low. This, along with three straight turnovers for the Huskies, gave the Titans a sizable lead within a matter of minutes.

With 3:37 left in the third quarter, the Huskies were forced to call a timeout. This timeout would mark a 10-1 run by Lee’s Summit West to open the second half which ultimately dug the Huskies into a 36-24 hole that they would never be able to recover from, much like their last game against Barstow.

“Second half we just come out slow, and we need to work on that,” senior Kate Kaufman, who finished with 5 points, said.

Though the Huskies would go on to lose to the Titans, 50-36, the offense in the first half showed signs of improvement. The rebounding by BVNW kept them in the game as they were able to translate that into points on the other end.

Perhaps the highlight of the game offensively for BVNW was the second quarter. Unlike other points during the season, the Huskies went tic-for-tac with the Titans as they were able to respond to whatever Lee’s Summit West was doing offensively. Bubalo said that it was their ability to facilitate on offense and play unselfish that aided his team in the first half.

“I thought we had good team play at both ends of the court and everybody contributed,” Bubalo said, “it was a great first half.”

With another third quarter lapse, the Huskies now find themselves 1-4 on the season. The girls basketball team will take on Blue Valley North at BVNW on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 6 p.m.