HUMBOLDT — According to head coach David Taylor, it wasn’t pretty for the Humboldt Cubs Tuesday night against Neodesha, but it still put another one in the win column.
The Cubs won 49-44 over the Blue Streaks — a hard-fought game from the start.
“Neodesha did play well, I’ll give them credit,” Taylor said. “We were not very coachable tonight, we had some of our own agendas for the first time this season.”
Those agendas may have worked well in the first quarter, but not for long.
The Cubs started off the contest with a strong nine-point run on Neodesha. Hunter Murrow, Trey Johnson and Noah Thornbrugh had quick fast-break points to edge the early lead. The Blue Streaks’ Justice Baird hit the first field goal of the game, a three pointer with just over three minutes in the quarter. Baird and Tycen Hanna hit two more to put the score at 15-6 going into the second quarter.
That is when things began to heat up, for the Blue Streaks at least.
Neodesha outscored the Cubs 11-5 in the quarter, and began hitting from beyond the paint. Caleb Vanatta hit the Cubs’ first field goal of the quarter with four minutes remaining in the half, followed by a bucket from McNutt. The halftime score had Humboldt barely clinching to the lead, 20-17.
Things began to turn around for the home team in the third quarter. A strong run for Murrow put the Cubs well ahead. He had three field goals in a row from the high post. McNutt hit a 2-pointer with 40 seconds left in the third to put Humboldt up 37-26. The Blue Streaks’ Baird hit a two to bring them within seven before the fourth.
Neodesha wasn’t ready to roll over and die. Baird and John Garcia each hit for the Blue Streaks, followed by a 3-pointer from Kyle Johnson to bring them within five points of the Cubs. It seemed to be too little too late, however, as Noah Thornbrugh hit some key shots to put the lead out of reach for Neodesha.
Thornbrugh led in scoring for the Cubs with 12 points. McNutt and Murrow each had 11, followed by Nathan Whitcomb with nine.
Taylor said he didn’t have many positive thoughts about the game, despite the win.
“We were careless with the ball, and didn’t value our possessions,” Taylor said. “And for the first time, I felt like we weren’t playing unselfish basketball.”
The Cubs have a chance to prove their coach wrong on Friday in Fredonia, versus the Yellow Jackets.
Neodesha (6-11-9-18—44)
Humboldt (15-5-19-10—49)
Neodesha (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Baird 4/2-2-4-16, Hanna 5-0-1-10, Hawkins 0-0-2-0, Garcia 6-0-2-12, Kitch 0-0-3-0, Johnson 1/1-0-2-5. TOTALS: 16/3-3-14-44.
Humboldt (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): McNutt 5-1-1-11, Murrow 5-1-2-11, Whitcomb 2-5-1-9, Crawford 1-0-0-2, Johnson 2-0-2-4, Thornbrugh 5-2-2-12. TOTALS: 20-9-8-49.
Humboldt boys stay unbeaten
