Kirtland came out on top of a fast-paced game against West Geauga on Tuesday. The Hornets forced 25 turnovers and had two players reach double-figure scoring in the 44-29 win.
Samantha Achauer scored a game-high 15 points and Sydney Snider added 14 for the Hornets.
“It was a great defensive game for us,” said Kirtland coach Bob Bell. “I thought the kids played really good defense. We held West Geauga to 10 goals in the entire game.”
Kirtland (5-3) opened up the playbook on defense, which kept West Geauga from finding its rhythm on offense. The 25 turnovers led to even more scoring opportunities for the Hornets.
“We were mixing up a little bit of zone press and a little bit of dropping into a zone and alternating from time to time just in man to man,” Bell said. “We were playing man to man pressure and zone press. I think the fact that we were mixing it up a little bit helped. That’s basically I think what kept us in a position to hold the lead for most of the game.”
Kirtland led 19-15 at halftime and 29-23 after three quarters. The Hornets pulled away in the fourth.
“I think it was more of a defensive battle by both teams,” Bell said. “We just happened to be a little more successful putting pressure on them and causing them to miss some shots.”
Achauer, Snider and Taylor Somodji, who finished with eight points, are among Kirtland’s most consistent scorers and Tuesday’s game was no different.
“Sam is a slasher. She gets her points going to the basket and every now and then she’ll step behind the 3-point line and knock them down,” Bell said. “Sydney shot the ball with a little more consistency. She had 14 and she was pretty consistent throughout the game. She scored in every quarter. She was getting some opportunities and some nice looks at the basket. She squares up well and lifts her shot.”
Jenna Kijauskas and Lindsey Stanforth both scored six points for the Wolverines, who dropped to 3-3 overall.
Kirtland plays at Aurora on Tuesday.
