Hayley Yost has Career Night, Bluejays Board 51 in Win

A shorthanded Northeast Nodaway squad broke a two game skid in a big way Monday, getting a career night from Hayley Yost to get a 67-18 win over South Holt in the first round of the King City Tournament. Kynder Florea came close to a career high as she had 14 in Monday's game; she had 15 against Gilman City. Baylie Busby got her normal output; she had 26 points and had a triple-double with 15 boards and 10 steals. 

The Bluejays have been varying from week to week in the new year. After closing out an impressive winning streak in December, they were run out of the gym by Nodaway Valley and Rock Port. They bounced back by winning the Stanberry Tournament, only to drop two close games last week against Platte Valley and Mound City. The hope is that a new week will bring a different outcome.

NEN spent most of the first quarter trying to find their chemistry again; they trailed 5-2 at one point. Skyler Florea kept them in the game at that point by grabbing six boards in the first few minutes of the game. South Holt kept coming at them and coming at them despite their record, but finally, foul trouble on the Knights took its toll along with the constant Bluejay pressure on the ball, hounding them into more and more turnovers as the game progressed. Two gold shirts picked up two fouls in the first quarter; with just seven dressed out, South Holt could not afford to have people foul out. 

Baylie Busby hit two free throws, Skyler Florea hit one, Hadley DeFreece scored off a steal, Skyler Florea scored from inside, followed by Blair Nelson. South Holt forced a turnover and cut it to 11-7, but then NEN started to find its chemistry, getting an inside shot from Hayley Yost and a steal from Busby to make it 15-7 after one.

The constant ball pressure paid off in the second quarter. Kynder Florea converted a three point play, Baylie Busby turned a steal into free throws, then Mylee Wilmes got a tip and Busby a steal to make it 24-7. South Holt hung around for a couple of minutes thanks to the three point line and kept their deficit at 29-13, but then Baylie Busby hit a 3-pointer from the left wing after Hadley DeFreece skipped it to her to start another run. Busby drove the left wing and scored, then Hadley DeFreece grabbed a defensive board, pushed it up the floor, and aired it out to Hayley Yost. Busby went coast to coast and Kynder Florea added a free throw to make it 39-13 at the half.

Yost had the hot hand in the third as she started off the scoring with a free throw, then ran the floor after a Busby steal and scored. Yost skipped one out of the post to Busby for three, then capitalized off another Busby steal. Busby added a free throw, then Hadley DeFreece skipped one to her for three. Kynder Florea and Hayley Yost both scored from inside to close out the third quarter with the Bluejays ahead 55-14.

Busby's putback started the scoring in the fourth quarter. With all the Knight defensive attention focused on Busby, Yost was left all alone as Hadley DeFreece inbounded one to her. Kynder Florea knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key after Skyler Florea got a steal, and Blair Nelson scored from inside off a pass from Mylee Wilmes.

Baylie Busby had 26 points. Hayley Yost had 15, Kynder Florea 14, Hadley DeFreece 5, Blair Nelson 4, and Skyler Florea 3.

Blair Nelson had 2 blocks and Skyler Florea 1.

Baylie Busby went beast mode with 15 boards. Skyler Florea had 14 to match a career high, Kynder Florea had a career high with 9, Hayley Yost 5, Blair Nelson 5, Hadley DeFreece 2, and Sadie Hall 1.

Baylie Busby had 8 assists. Hadley DeFreece had 4, Mylee Wilmes 3, Hayley Yost and Skyler Florea 2, and Kynder Florea and Blair Nelson 1.

Hadley DeFreece had 8 tips. Mylee Wilmes had 6, Baylie Busby and Kynder Florea 4 each, Hayley Yost 3, Blair Nelson 2, and Skyler Florea 1. 

Baylie Busby had 10 steals to complete a triple-double. Hadley DeFreece and Sadie Hall had 3 steals. Hall, a freshman, showed a lot of improvement, being in the right place at the right time on defense, allowing her to blow up some plays. Kynder Florea had 2, and Mylee Wilmes, Hayley Yost, and Skyler Florea had 1 each.