It was a defensive battle when the kindergarten Kayhawks and Team 1 matched up Saturday at the Community Center.

After playing neck in neck for a majority of the game, the Kayhawks were able to take advantage of their guard play to defeat Team 1, 18-12.

Harrison Hughes led the Kayhawks early on with his playmaking abilities. Hughes used a quick burst to blow by his defender and attack the basket. Not only was Hughes an offensive scoring threat, he also effectively dished the ball to his open teammates.

However, Team 1 used a swarming defense to stay even with the Kayhawks for much of the game. Chase Garcia led all scorers with six points on the afternoon by attacking the boards and taking advantage of easy opportunities near the basket. Early in the first half Garcia gave Team 1 an early lead after collecting two rebounds, finished the shot and scored on Team 1’s following possession.

“We played a lot better today as a team,” said Team 1 head coach Andy Grammer. “Our passing and team defense was much better than where we started.”

Hoping to gain the momentum early in the second quarter, guard Kelly Wiggins blew by the Kayhawk defense for the second half’s opening bucket. Wiggins ran the point early in the second half, using quick feet and aggressive play to keep the Kayhawks at bay.

The kindergarten Kayhawks overflowed the bench as they waited their turn against Team 1 Saturday at the Community Building.

Jacob Mills led Team 1 on the glass, hauling in six rebounds for the afternoon. Unafraid to mix it up down low, Mills used good footwork and positioning to take advantage of the loose ball near the basket.

Nonetheless, the Kayhawk offense was able to get back on track and distance themselves from Team 1. The Kayhawks turned to center Nick Salvino, who established a down-low presence for the Kayhawks. Salvino used his soft touch off the glass to guarantee the win for the Kayhawks.