Addie Sullivan scored 22 points Thursday as the Blair girls basketball team knocked off Crete in what coach Matt Aschoff felt was his Bears' best game of the season.
“A really good team win,” he said.
BHS improved to 10-11 with the 61-47 home victory, which came in its final regular season game before Class B-5 Subdistrict play started Monday in South Sioux City. The finals are set for today.
To see if the Bears reached the subdistrict title game, visit enterprisepub.com/sports for an update.
Against Crete (15-8 overall), though, the Bears led 27-20 at the half, producing from beyond the 3-point line to do it.
After initially leading 5-0, BHS' Gueryn Kay broke a 5-all tie with a long-range make during the first period. Laynie Brown then ended the quarter with a 3-point make at the buzzer for a 11-8 advantage.
The freshman who ended the first struck again from deep to start the second period, pushing the Bears' lead to six points.
Kate Wulf's 3-pointer later gave the Bears a 19-11 advantage before Sullivan secured a 10-point advantage — 23-13 — from inside the arc. The latter forward added her own 3-pointer for BHS' biggest lead of the first half, 27-15, before the Cardinals scored the last five points before the break.
The Bears continued to lead from there, though, outscoring their visitors 34-27 during the second 16 minutes of game time. Sullivan finished with the game high in points, making three 3s and five of her seven foul shots. Though the junior lost some time to an injury this season, she's helped reinvigorate a squad that won three of its last four games entering the postseason.
“Having Addie back has been good,” Aschoff said, noting how well she's played since her return. “She helps open things up offensively, and she is really playing more aggressively and really looking for a good shot.”
The coach credited the rest of his roster for Blair's late-season push, too.
“The other girls have played well with (Sullivan) back and have used their strengths with Addie's to mesh well,” he said.
Brown added 12 points during the Bears' home win, while Joslyn Policky had nine and Kaitlynn O'Neil scored seven.
Thursday
BLAIR 61, CRETE 47
CHS (15-8) 8 12 13 14 — 47
BHS (10-11) 11 16 18 16 — 61
Scoring: BHS — Addie Sullivan 22, Laynie Brown 12, Joslyn Policky 9, Kaitlynn O'Neil 7, Gueryn Kay 6, Kate Wulf 3, Taytum Macholan 2.
CHS — Marin Rasgorshek 11, Trinity McMillan 9, Camry Draeger 9, Anna Hohlen 8, Lauren Maly 5, Sierra Crist 3, Ansley Kuntz 2.
