The assumption is that Class 2’s defending state champs snoozed once their lead hit 20, then 25 and suddenly 37 points. Or that the post-game talk took all of 37 seconds. Or that there’s nothing really to work on.
Hardly the case, Crane Lady Pirates seniors Lexi Vaught and Kylee Moore emphasized. Same with their coach.
After all, after Crane routed the Miller Lady Cardinals 67-35 in a Class 2 sectional on Wednesday night, the next step certainly will draw eyes across the Ozarks.
Next up is Gainesville (27-1), a team the Pirates beat only 57-53 on Feb. 6 on a neutral floor in Bolivar.
The rematch is at 1 p.m. Saturday at Drury University’s O’Reilly Family Event Center. Moore re-assured that the team is focused. Crane is 29-1.
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“Our heads are in the right place,” Moore said. “We’ve just got to come out and play as hard as we can. With our girls playing the way we can, clicking the way we can, we can get it. But we’ve got to be there (for each other). Gainesville is good.”
Moore offered those words on a night when Vaught scored 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and almost had double figures in assists while Moore herself contributed 15 more points.
This in a game that was a route from the start. Crane yielded only two first-quarter buckets and buried Miller in a 28-10 hole early in the second quarter.
“They kind of poke at you, and you just fall into it,” Miller coach Justin Gerald said.
However, Miller presented more a test from the middle of the second quarter to halftime – the Lady Cardinals scored on eight of 10 possessions in one stretch – and actually helped Crane spot necessary improvements.
Such as …
“Defense,” Crane coach Jeremy Mullins said.
“My upperclassmen know our rotations. But some of my younger ones down the stretch Saturday, I may have to rely on them,” Mullins explained, noting a freshman got lost a time or two. “That’s my seniors’ fault. She’s a freshman, and they need to put it on them more (to get it right).”
Mullins has been in the challenging role of striking the right balance between keeping the team focused through blowout wins and finding ways to have fun. That may come into greater focus over the next few days as Crane’s players, already with high expectations, try not to become too consumed with basketball.
“I’m trying to make it fun. But at the same time, they’re not dumb. They know what’s at stake and what we’re trying to do,” Mullins said, before grinning. “At the same time, they’re kids. I almost feel bad for them. … Not really. (But) I hate putting pressure on them.”
Vaught indicated that the player-inflicted pressure probably isn’t changing now.
“We kind of set the bar high for ourselves. Turnovers and missed shots, that gets to us a lot,” Vaught said. “We do keep it fun. We’re our biggest fans. Every time something (bad) happens, you’ve always got something on your team saying, ‘You’ll be fine.’”
And of the rotation issue?
“I’m sure by practice tomorrow,” Vaught said, “we’ll have it all figured out.”
For Miller, it was a disappointing end to a good season, one in which the Lady Cardinals won a district championship for the first time since assistant coach Hannah Wilkerson was a standout before going on to Missouri State.
Abby Gann’s 14 points led Miller, which finished the season 18-11. Gerald hopes the team looks back on the season – and the second quarter against Crane – as something to build on.
Miller has a good freshman class coming in to support several returning starters.
“We scored 17 points and thought that was a great quarter,” said Gerald, who loses only one starter in Jessica Estes, who has committed to College of the Ozarks.
“We started off with Crane (81-37 loss) and the score showed it tonight that we’ve improved since playing them,” Gerald said.
Crane 67, Miller 35
Miller 4 17 5 7 – 35
Crane 19 21 16 15 – 67
Miller: Abby Gann 14, Shayne Mallory 7. Dayln Hadlock 5, Lynna Hadlock 3, Jessica Estes 4, Bethany Gulick 2.
Crane: Madison Hicks 8, Madison Fulp 9, Justine Mahan 9, Shelby Roder 2, Keren Belin 2, Olivia Doto 2.
