Wellsville — Tuesday's first-round game of the Top Gun Invitational was short and sweet for Baldwin High's girls basketball team.
The Bulldogs dominated at both ends of the floor in defeating Eudora, 58-33, at Wellsville High.
Be it their pressing almost suffocating defense (which forced 15 first-half turnovers) or their long-range shooting (Baldwin connected on six of 12 first-half three-point attempts), the Bulldogs struck early and often.
Baldwin (9-2) extended its 17-8 lead after the first quarter to a 42-18 advantage by halftime, thanks to runs of 12-2 and 15-2. The Bulldogs' press flustered and confused Eudora (3-7) early, and the Cardinals never recovered.
"We have not been able to handle the press all season," Eudora coach Gretchen Schreiner said. "We've been getting better. Physically, we were fine, but mentally it ruined us."
When Baldwin coach Eric Toot called off the dogs after halftime, Eudora had just four turnovers in the second half.
"We've been pressing since Christmas and it has helped us get off to good starts in games," Toot said.
With so many offensive opportunities off turnovers, the Bulldogs were able to pick their spots and make the most of their possessions.
Senior guard Colleen Kivett led Baldwin with 13 points and seven other Bulldogs scored.
"We've shot the ball well all year," Toot said. "We had a lot of girls that worked hard to better their outside shot and it has paid off. But those shots wouldn't fall if it wasn't for then play of our post players (Casey Millstein and Emily Brown)."
More than once Millstein or Brown would get the ball inside and pass it out to a teammate for an open three. On the defensive end, the two had the unenviable task of trying to stop Eudora sophomore Lauren Kracl, who still managed to score 18 points on 9-of-20 shooting.
"We didn't really have a game plan for her," Toot said of Kracl. "She's one of the best players in the league and their offense runs through her."
Kracl took more than a third of her team's shots, but that's just fine with Schreiner.
"We try to run things through her as much as possible," she said. "We don't have a lot of other options."
Baldwin, ranked No. 7 in the 4A coaches' poll, will play Kansas City Piper at 7:45 p.m. Thursday in the red gym and Eudora will face Wellsville at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the blue gym.
Ottawa 75,
Gardner-Edgerton 51
Ottawa outscored G-E 24-11 in the second quarter to pull away in their first-round game of the Top Gun Invitational.
"I think we got out to a slow start," OHS coach Cliff McCullough said. "Gardner was running with us the first quarter. Then we settled in and took over in the second quarter. We just kept the pressure on after that.
"This was the best team total effort we've had this season. It's nice to see."
The Cyclones, ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, had four of their five starters score in double figures. Jayme Vance led the way with 21 points, followed by Liz Burks (16), Lindsey Dieterich (15) and Katie Sheffield (10).
Ottawa (11-0) will face Anderson County in a semifinal showdown at 6:15 p.m. Thursday.
KC Piper 39,
Wellsville 35
Down by two after three quarters, Kansas City Piper rallied for a four-point victory over host Wellsville. Freshman Lacey Roecker scored 11 points to lead Wellsville (4-8). The Pirates were led by Kathy Kiblinger's 12 points. Wellsville will play Eudora at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
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