HUMBOLDT — The Humboldt Lady Cubs seem to be peaking at just the right time after demolishing Fredonia 48-17 with just one game left in the regular season.
Senior guard Skylar Hottenstein, senior forward Ricklyn Hillmon and junior guard Jo Ellison combined for 18 points in the first quarter as Humboldt quickly put the Fredonia Yellowjackets out of commission while winning their second consecutive contest Thursday.
“Two in a row. It’s good for the girls. It was nice to see them do all the stuff we’ve been working on,” said Coach Rob Myer.
After double-digit production in the first quarter, the Lady Cubs’ defense did most of the heavy lifting. A Hottenstein 3-pointer and an Ellison free throw helped give Humboldt a 22-10 lead at halftime.
Humboldt did not rest on their 12-point cushion in the second half.
Sophomore guard Bailey Daniels hit a pair of third-quarter 3-pointers while Ellison knocked down a pair of field goals. After a quiet first half and third quarter, senior guard Laney Hull got on the scoreboard with a pair of 3-pointers while Hillmon did the most of her damage with a trio of field goals to halt any ideas of a Fredonia rally.
“Jo really stepped it up. She had a double-double,” Coach Myer said. “She had 14 rebounds, 11 points and six blocks, and I think they missed one. She almost had a triple-double.”
With the win, the Lady Cubs improved to 8-15 overall and 2-8 in Tri-Valley League play.
Hillmon ended the night with a team-leading 12 points, followed by Ellison with 11, Hottenstein with nine and Hull with six.
Humboldt faced Labette Friday for their regular season finale. Results were not available at press time. They will learn who they face in next Saturday’s regional tournament when KSHSAA officials release the brackets.
“Going into the season we knew it was going to be tough,” Coach Myer said. “Going into the postseason, even though we have a bad record, these teams are not going to know what to expect when they play us. We’ve been playing Colgan, Eureka, Cherryvale, Girard — all those good teams. That has helped us out and we’re ready.”
