Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Hornets shut down Wolverines in 44-29 win

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.
 

Steve Hare
Steve Harehttp://www.ohiovarsity.com
Steve Hare is the Chagrin Valley Conference's Sports Information Director. He also created and publishes OhioVarsity.com, an online publication dedicated to providing hyperlocal coverage to area high school athletic programs. Hare began covering high school sports for the Lake County News Herald in 1997. Hare attended Willoughby South High School through the middle of his senior year, then graduated from Berkshire High School in Burton in 1986. He played football, wrestled and was an all-Geauga county baseball player (1986). He lives in Chardon with his wife Paulette and their children.

Related Articles

Stay Connected

1,036FansLike
3,810FollowersFollow
364SubscribersSubscribe

Latest Articles

2023-24 Boys Basketball Preview: Cardinal Huskies

Cardinal has a new coach and a lot of new faces in the lineup this season, but the Huskies are as eager as ever to tip off a new season.

2023-24 Boys Basketball Preview: Geneva Eagles

Geneva heads into the 2023-24 season with an experienced and athletic lineup that should be in a position to compete for a conference title.

2023-24 Boys Basketball Preview: Harvey Red Raiders

A new era at Harvey is underway as Eric Monty has taken over the reins of the Red Raiders boys’ basketball program.
00:00:00

2023-24 CVC Winter Sports Media Day-Kirtland Session II

CVC TV visits Kirtland High School for its third stop of a four-day winter sports media day tour.
00:00:00

2023-24 CVC Winter Sports Media Day-Kirtland Session I

CVC TV visits Kirtland High School for its third stop of a four-day winter sports media day tour.