Eudora ? It appeared to be a smart coaching move, backed up by strategy and first-half observation.

Switching the defensive focus from the perimeter to the post at halftime helped propel the Eudora boys’ basketball team to a 59-46 victory over Spring Hill on Wednesday.

But was it smart coaching?

“Actually, it was just one of those lucky moves,” coach Scott Stein said. “It happened to end up right.”

Whatever the case, it sure paid off big for Eudora. With the Cardinals trailing 27-23 at halftime, Stein instructed his players to lay off Spring Hill’s three-point shooters and collapse in the paint more often. The switch was just what the Cardinals needed, as they outscored the Broncos 36-19 in the second half on their way to victory.

“In the first half, we were trying to press too much,” Stein said. “They got everything inside. We weren’t very successful.”

Though switching the defensive game plan made a difference, Eudora still needed a big offensive output in the second half to secure the victory.

Enter Aaron Westerhouse.

After playing four quarters of junior varsity ball before the varsity game Friday, Westerhouse used his one remaining quarter of eligibility to its fullest.

He hit successive three-pointers in the third quarter and completed a four-point play that gave Eudora much-needed breathing room.

He ended up with seven points in the quarter — not bad for about six minutes of work.

“In JV ball, he’s been shooting the three real well,” Stein said. “Tonight, he gave us a big lift offensively. It really picked us up.”

Eudora outscored Spring Hill 18-5 in the third quarter alone, turning a four-point deficit into a nine-point lead. The Cardinals never looked back.

Senior Kaleb Niedens paced the Cardinals (6-3) with 16 points; junior Chris Gabriel and senior Andrew Bell each added 12 points for Eudora.

“It was a good win for us,” Stein said. “Our defense worked in the second half, and our offense did what it had to do.”

Eudora Boys 59, Spring Hill 46

Eudora 12 11 18 18 — 59

Spring Hill 12 15 5 14 — 46

Spring Hill — Matt Myer 12, Bryan Bollig 2, Travis Larsen 11, Kevin Phillips 8, Aaron Barnett 9, Phillip Goff 4. Totals 15 (4) 4-10 46.

Eudora — Tyler Cleveland 9, Aaron Westerhouse 7, Josh Brouhard 3, Kaleb Niedens 16, Chris Gabriel 12, Andrew Bell 12. Totals 19 (4) 9-12 59.