North Nodaway’s girls held off several charges by a much improved East Harrison squad and got the 69-39 win Friday night to post a two game winning streak and raise their record to 5-1. Saylor Brown had a monster night for the Mustangs with 22 points, and four blue shirts scored double figures.
Last year, North Nodaway, despite dealing with the recent loss of Brown (knee) and the loss of Kelsey Barcus during the game, won handily, 57-14 over East Harrison. It looked like things would be the same after Jacquelyn Cline got loose in transition and Saryn Brown aired it out to her. Cline added a triple from the right side, Lauren fed Saryn Brown after Saylor got a steal off the press, and Saylor hit Cline on a fast break to make it 9-0. North Nodaway locked down on the other end, getting nine straight stops.
But the Bobcats this time showed the ability to fight back, as three different orange shirts started chipping in and they were able to work it into Bree Vaughn in the post to cut it to 14-8. Kelsi Barcus hit a shot from the left wing to make it 16-8 after one.
North Nodaway clamped down on defense again to start the second quarter and got six straight stops and Saylor Brown erupted for nine points during the sequence as North Nodaway’s lead grew to 25-8. But then Jacquelyn Cline picked up her second foul, and East Harrison began splitting the North Nodaway defenders and getting open. They made several charges at the Mustangs the rest of the game, but Saylor Brown put the team on her back with a monster night, leading in nearly every statistical category with 22 points, 13 boards, 7 assists, 4 tips, and 8 steals.
East Harrison got as close as 26-14 at the 3:05 mark before Saryn Brown broke the run, Saylor made an NBA three off a kickout from Angie Parker, and Brown hit a 3-pointer to make it 34-16 before Kennison Roberts cut the Bobcat deficit to 34-18 at the half.
Roberts cut the Bobcat deficit to 34-20 to start the third, but then Saryn Brown got to the rim twice and went four for four from the line, and Saylor Brown hit a 3-pointer to make it 41-20. Cline picked up her third and fourth fouls trying to box out the much taller Chloe Billups, who was stationed on the weak side block to collect missed shots for the Bobcats, and Karlee Crouse got untracked for them, hitting her first two 3-pointers to cut it to 43-27. But once again, North Nodaway had an answer as Saryn Brown hit her fifth and sixth free throws after slashing to the rim and then Lauren Herndon got untracked with a four point play.
Herndon, who had been in a scoring slump the last two games, got loose after Saylor Brown got a steal and finished to make it 47-27. She drew the foul and missed the free throw, but Saryn Brown, who had a double double in addition to Saylor with 17 points and 10 boards, grabbed an offensive board and fed Herndon for the four point play to make it 49-27. Lauren got loose in transition and found Saylor Brown to make it 51-27 after three.
Once again East Harrison made a charge and once again, North Nodaway withstood it. Karlee Crouse, only a freshman, suddenly knocked down three straight 3-pointers in a span of less than two minutes to cut North Nodaway’s lead to 51-36. But this time, Jacquelyn Cline, who had sat most of the second and third quarters with foul trouble, was able to stay on the floor and break the run. She didn’t score a single point in the period, but she made everyone else around her better, starting with feeding Lauren Herndon for three. She would go on to have 5 assists in the fourth quarter. Herndon and Saylor Brown made free throws, and Saryn Brown made her eighth straight free throw after one of Saylor’s many steals, making it 58-36.
Crouse knocked down another three for East Harrison, but that was the only score that North Nodaway would allow during the last 6:22 of the game. Saryn Brown scored off a drive and then Cline started feeding people at will, hitting Hayleigh Vinzant in transition twice, resulting in a layup and a free throw. Cline hit Lauren Herndon backdoor, and then hit Vinzant for the third time after picking the Bobcats’ wallets. Vinzant showed some skill, grabbing a defensive board and going all the way for a layup.
Saylor Brown had 22 points to lead the Mustangs. Saryn Brown had 17, Lauren Herndon 11, Jacquelyn Cline 10, Hayleigh Vinzant 6, and Kelsi Barcus 2.
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