The Blair High School girls basketball team may not have been in danger of losing its season opener Saturday, but it could have taken a step back against Ralston.
Instead, senior Addie Sullivan said, the Bears did what they had set out to do during the 71-8 home win.
“I think that we played clean, which is something that we really needed to focus on in this game,” No. 23 said, explaining how it could help determine how coach Matt Aschoff's team competes against its next opponent — Class B No. 5 Waverly.
In preparation for that Eastern Midlands Conference road matchup, which is today at 5:30 p.m., BHS wanted to play clean, sharp and with each other to build good habits, Sullivan said. The Bears did that, building a 15-0 first-period lead before the Rams' first bucket. The home team led 41-4 at halftime, too, before putting together a 30-4 second half with bench players playing major roles on the floor.
Sullivan, though, led Blair with a game-high 20 points. The University of Nebraska-Kearney recruit scored the first three baskets before freshman Cadence Field knocked down a 3-point shot for a 9-0 advantage. The new guard finished with 13 points total, while another ninth-grader, Beau Wendt, added 12 in her first official game as a high school basketball player.
“It's a good confidence booster,” Sulivan said of the freshmen's first-game experience. “But, also, anyone on our team is capable of scoring. It's just about who is hot in the game — in the moment.”
Claire Anderson added seven points during the Bears' 63-point victory, while both Kate Wulf and Taytum Macholan had six. Senior Hayden Frink-Mathis added four points, too, while Kenzie Policky and Madeline Chikos notched two and one, respectively.
At one point during the third quarter, Sullivan played on the floor at the same time as her two sisters — Ally, a junior, and Aftyn, a freshman. When asked about it, the eldest smiled and said she was sure it was an emotional moment for her mother.
After today's road game at Waverly, the Sullivans — and the Bears — next play at home on Saturday against Omaha Gross. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
BHS BASKETBALL LINE SCORE
Saturday
Blair 71, Ralston 8
RHS (0-2) 2 2 4 0 — 8
BHS (1-0) 15 26 20 10 — 71
Scoring: BHS — Addie Sullivan 20, Cadence Field 13, Beau Wendt 12, Claire Anderson 7, Kate Wulf 6, Taytum Macholan 6, Hayden Frink-Mathis 4, Kenzie Policky 2, Madeline Chikos 1.
RHS — Andi Radji 4, Kari Grimes-Fraire 3, Makenzie Macrander 1.
