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Perry-Lecompton’s Emmy Reed drives to the basket during a girls basketball game against Northeast Kansas Homeschool on Feb. 3 at Perry-Lecompton High School in Perry.
Entering halftime with a slim lead over the visiting Northeast Kansas Homeschool Knighthawks, Perry-Lecompton head coach Joey Franzitta implored his squad to focus on executing all the little things that they’ve spent countless hours working on in practice.
The message got through loud and clear as the Kaws used an extended 21-5 run en route to a 53-44 non-league victory Tuesday night.
Perry-Lecompton (9-9 overall, 3-5 Big East League) forced 13 turnovers while also shooting close to 50% from the field in the first half, but NEK offset a turnover-prone first half with aggressive drives to the bucket and subsequent trips to the charity stripe, as well as hustle plays that led to second-chance scoring opportunities.
“We weren’t really getting to any of the ‘50-50 balls,’” Franzitta said. “There were too many plays where a bounce went to them, they made one pass and found a person open under the basket for a lay-up.”
Perry-Lecompton freshman Jolie Corcoran’s 3-pointer to open the contest keyed a 9-2 run, capped off by back-to-back steals and lay-ins courtesy of junior Macie Corcoran and sophomore Kaelyn Metcalfe.
Sophomore forward Tatum Calovich infused the Kaws with an offensive boost in the second quarter, converting a trio of 2-pointers. Perry-Lecompton increased its advantage to 21-11 midway through the frame via sophomore Emmy Reed’s steal and kick-out pass to junior guard Macie Corcoran for a left-wing triple.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Perry-Lecompton’s Macie Corcoran attempts a floating layup during a girls basketball game against Northeast Kansas Homeschool on Feb. 3 at Perry-Lecompton High School in Perry.
But Perry-Lecompton faltered for the remainder of the half, as NEK closed on a 10-2 spurt to trim its deficit to 23-21.
“We weren’t doing some of the little things we talk about every day in practice,” Franzitta said.
NEK carried its momentum into the opening minutes of the third quarter. A trey from freshman Areli Lawson, followed by a pair of free throws after Franzitta was hit with a technical foul, handed the Knighthawks a 26-23 lead.
The tech, which saw Franzitta inquiring with the officials about “consistency” of whistles in relation to the overall physicality being displayed, may have actually sparked the Kaws — as Franzitta’s squad used a 21-5 run over the final six-plus of the frame to seize a commanding 44-31 advantage.
During the extended blitz, Reed poured in 12 of her game-high 16 points, and for good measure, added a 3-pointer in the final frame as the Kaws coasted to victory.
“Not only were we getting stops, but we were getting a lot of steals and easy transition run-outs,” Franzitta said, adding that Perry-Lecompton’s half-court defense tightened the screws in the second half.
“The girls did a really good job of making adjustments and finding easy points in the second half,” Franzitta said, adding that 3-2 and 2-2-1 defensive zone looks proved disruptive. “That really sparked our run.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Perry-Lecompton’s Devin Aldrich attempts a 3-pointer during a girls basketball game against Northeast Kansas Homeschool on Feb. 3 at Perry-Lecompton High School in Perry.
The Kaws were equally impressive when deploying a man-to-man defense. The keys to the team’s sterling performance on that end of the court, according to Macie Corcoran, included switching on screens and efficiently rotating over on the helpside.
Reed echoed those sentiments.
“Working well together as a team opens up a lot of good things for us,” she said.
Franzitta said that Macie Corcoran displayed much grit playing through an ankle injury, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds, and three steals.
“It’s kind of challenging because I can’t ‘back-cut’ as much,” Corcoran said. “I’m probably close to 85 percent right now.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Perry-Lecompton’s Jolie Corcoran fires off a 3-point attempt over a closing-out defender during a girls basketball game against Northeast Kansas Homeschool on Feb. 3 at Perry-Lecompton High School in Perry.
Franzitta described Corcoran as a “tough cookie” and that her toughness is emblematic of the team as a whole.
“One thing I really like about this team is that we have a lot of tough kids that are always playing hard,” he said. “And that’s a perfect example, a kid fighting through an injury, or we might have a kid fighting through foul trouble, to push us closer to a win. That toughness is helping us have a little more success as a program.”
Franzitta noted that he was also pleased with the play of senior Devin Aldrich and Clovich. He noted that Aldrich’s contributions frequently fly under the radar.
“You might not be that impressed with her numbers when you check the box score, but she does so many little things that help you win games,” he said. “She has been a great program player the past four years.”
Reed and Macie Corcoran combined for 29 points. Also reaching double-figure scoring totals was Calovich with 10 points and a block. Jolie Corcoran finished with five points, while Aldrich and Metcalfe chipped in four points apiece.
Perry-Lecompton plays host to conference foe Royal Valley on Friday.
“We can definitely build off tonight’s win,” Macie Corcoran said, adding that the Kaws showed what they were “capable of” in a Jan. 29 road loss to state-ranked Hiawatha. Perry-Lecompton lost by a score of 53-47 in that matchup.
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Perry-Lecompton’s Kaelyn Metcalfe throws the ball off the leg of a defender to save a possession during a girls basketball game against Northeast Kansas Homeschool on Feb. 3 at Perry-Lecompton High School in Perry.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Perry-Lecompton’s players celebrate a score during a girls basketball game against Northeast Kansas Homeschool on Feb. 3 at Perry-Lecompton High School in Perry.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Perry-Lecompton’s Charley Blosser looks to pass the ball on a fast-break opportunity during a girls basketball game against Northeast Kansas Homeschool on Feb. 3 at Perry-Lecompton High School in Perry.
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Perry-Lecompton head coach Joey Franzitta reacts to a call during a girls basketball game against Northeast Kansas Homeschool on Feb. 3 at Perry-Lecompton High School in Perry.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Perry-Lecompton’s Charley Blosser and Macie Corcoran smile as they head to the front of the handshake line following a girls basketball game against Northeast Kansas Homeschool on Feb. 3 at Perry-Lecompton High School in Perry.
