Spartans shake off layoff, lock down LeRoy in a 19-point victory

After a nearly two-week layoff, St. Joseph-Ogden found its rhythm in the second half Friday night. Kayla Osterbur led the surge with strong post play. SJO pulled away for a 59-40 win.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Kayla Osterbur flashes a big smile as she heads to the locker room after dropping a game-high 19-point night in SJO's home win Friday night over LeRoy.

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by Clark Brooks
The Sentinel

ST. JOSEPH - The rust showed early, but once it shook loose, St. Joseph-Ogden looked every bit like a team that had been waiting to play.

After nearly two weeks away from game action because of weather-related cancellations, the Spartans needed time to find their footing Friday night at LeRoy. Trailing by two at halftime, St. Joseph-Ogden flipped the switch in the third quarter, clamping down defensively and rolling to a 59-40 victory on their home court over the Panthers.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Timera Blackburn-Kelley takes a shot during the second half. The senior contributed 10 points in SJO's win.

LeRoy managed just four points in the third quarter as the Spartans seized control with back-to-back scoring runs, first a nine-point surge, then another eight-point burst that broke the game open.

“It was a good response,” SJO head coach Brian Brooks said. “We hadn’t played in a couple of weeks, and it probably showed in the first half. Our energy and effort just wasn’t very good, and we were fortunate to be only down two.”

Brooks made adjustments at halftime, leaning into opportunities inside with senior Kayla Osterbur. With the guards delivering the ball, Osterbur went to work in the paint, scoring eight points in the third quarter and closing the frame with a pair of free throws.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Hayden Dahl makes a second-half pass. The junior delivered four of SJO's 11 three-pointers.

Osterbur finished with a game-high 19 points, 17 coming in the second half.

While the post game opened the door, the perimeter slammed it shut. St. Joseph-Ogden buried 11 3-pointers, hitting three each in the first, second and fourth quarters. Hayden Dahl happily knocked down four from long range, and Katie Ericksen added three as both finished with 12 points.

Osterbur, Ashlyn Miller and Addie Brooks each connected from beyond the arc, while Timera Blackburn-Kelley chipped in a 3-pointer and finished with 10 points.

“I thought Katie was great tonight at the point, especially in the second half,” Brooks said. “She made some really good reads.”

Ericksen expected the slow start.

“I knew it was going to be a mind game for us being off for two weeks,” she said. “We knew we were going to have to put in a lot of effort to get back to where we were.”

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Spartans' Katie Ericksen looks for an open teammate to pass the ball during first quarter action against the Panthers.

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The Spartans (6-1) face a quick turnaround, traveling to Charleston for a 12:30 p.m. nonconference game before hosting Watseka on Monday ahead of the State Farm Classic.

LeRoy was led by Parker Mann with 15 points and Annie Coon with 11. The Panthers fell to 8-3 and play Saturday at El Paso-Gridley.

Box Score

SJO     12   15   19   13 - 59
LeRoy  9   20     4      7 - 40

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