Cyclones return to win column in road win
After a tough loss Friday at home against St. Albert, the HCHS Cyclones girls basketball team returned to action Tuesday, getting a 60-45 road win over the Glenwood Rams.
“I thought we played pretty decent for the most part,” said Cyclone Head Coach Zach Klaassen. “It was nice to see the kids step up and make plays when we needed them. Decent effort from everybody on both ends of the court. A lot of people did a lot of good things last night.”
The Cyclone offense got off to a good start, outscoring the Rams 18-7 at the end of the first quarter and continuing to score, taking a 30-19 lead at halftime.
Senior Aubrey Schwieso led the way with 26 points, followed by Senior Grace Albertsen with 17.
“I thought whether it was offensive boards or put backs or finishing inside, I thought she could have gotten to the line a few more times,” Klaassen said of Albertsen. “I’m proud of her effort. She leaves it out there. She had a decent amount of blocked shots and altered shots as usual.”
The Cyclone defense was able to hold the Rams to just 45 points. Klaassen credited the girls for the way they played on the defensive end of the floor.
“At halftime, we made some adjustments where it looked a little better in the second half,” he said. “The defense was really good. We shut out penetration for the most part and that was kind of our goal, to limit the amount of kids getting to the hoop or getting to the rim or hitting cutters and getting to the rim.”
Junior Cyclone Addison Wicks came away with four points off the bench for her team. Klaassen credited Wicks for her efforts on both sides of the floor and for stepping up in key moments.
“She was good last night,” Klaassen said of Wicks. “I thought her defense was good, and she’s probably improved on the that end of the floor as much as anywhere else in her game. If we need her to score I think she can, but it’s not a need for us right now, but when she has open shots she takes them. I think her shot selection is really good.”
The Cyclone offense continued to play strong in the second half closing out the Rams for their eighth win of the season. They return home Friday night for a matchup with the 9-4 Atlantic Trojans. The Trojans are led by Senior Paytn Harter averaging 16.7 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, along with Junior Makenna Schroeder averaging 3.7 assists.
“We have to find her and box her out,” Klaassen said. “She [Harter] makes a living on the offensive boards, so we have to limit her touches on those situations. There are going to be some possessions where she gets away from us, but if that happens we’ve got to jam her up and make things tough for her. If we’re not physical back at her, then she’s going to be physical and have a big night.”
