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Eudora players celebrate on bench during the fourth quarter of a girls basketball game against Atchison on Dec. 11 at Eudora High School.
Fresh off a 21-point victory over Spring Hill, the Eudora Cardinals continued their sparkling start to the season with a 75-24 throttling of the visiting Atchison Phoenix Thursday night.
Sophomore guard Avah Dye opened the contest with a steal and passed the ball ahead to junior guard Brynn Deterding for a breakaway layup. Dye quickly followed up with a 3-pointer as the Cardinals raced out to an 11-0 lead.
Eudora (2-0) was hot from long-range in the opening frame. Deterding knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and sophomore guard Jayla Colter added another as the Cardinals built a 27-point advantage.
Holding a 44-10 lead at the half, Eudora continued to pour it on. The Cardinals opened the third quarter on a 16-3 blitz, capped off by three consecutive buckets from sophomore Karley Owens — including a pair of baseline jumpers and a fastbreak layup. Izzy Brunkow’s 3-ball from the right wing put the finishing touches on the third quarter outburst, as the Cardinals lead swelled to 69-14 en route to the decisive win.
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Eudora’s Avah Dye goes up for a layup during a girls basketball game against Atchison on Dec. 11 at Eudora High School.
Throughout the contest, Eudora made a concerted effort to attack from multiple angles and get the ball into the lane against Atchison’s extended zone defensive looks.
“With the game getting out of hand, I thought that we did a good job of staying composed,” Deterding said.
While the Cardinals kept the screws tightened defensively, Dye said the team still has room for improvement on that end.
“Just keeping our hands off — no fouls, and moving our feet,” she said.
After the season-opener, Eudora head coach Brandon Parker said he would be closely monitoring his squad’s “maturity level” on the court, specifically their ability to avoid “sloppy play” while holding a big lead.
“I thought we were really solid offensively in the half-court, just moving the ball well and getting a lot of people involved,” he said.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Eudora’s Brynn Deterding dribbles in the ball up the court during a girls basketball game against Atchison on Dec. 11 at Eudora High School.
Eudora entered the season with two new starters in the lineup — Colter and Lori Brooks. Also new to the rotation, sophomore Karley Owens and freshman Payton Lewis chipped in a combined 17 points off the bench.
“They all played really well together,” Parker said. “Adding them to the lineup has actually been pretty seamless.”
Dye finished with a game-high 19 points and five steals. Deterding added 16 points, and Coulter 11. As the team’s floor general, Parker said he’s been pleased with the strides made by Deterding as she enters her junior campaign on the hardwood.
“She has been embracing more of an ownership and leadership role with the program,” he said. “And there is a natural confidence that comes from being a leader and finding your voice on the team.”
Eudora looks to keep its perfect record intact when it returns to the court next week for Rock Creek’s 1st Annual Flurry on Flush Basketball Tournament. The Cardinals will play a total of three games, with their first matchup coming Dec. 18 against Goodland.
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Eudora’s Izzy Brunkow takes a 3-point shot during a girls basketball game against Atchison on Dec. 11 at Eudora High School.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Eudora’s Lori Brooks battles for a rebound during a girls basketball game against Atchison on Dec. 11 at Eudora High School.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Eudora head coach Brandon Parker talks with his team during a timeout in a girls basketball game against Atchison on Dec. 11 at Eudora High School.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Eudora’s Jayla Colter, middle, seemingly can’t control her excitement after a play in the fourth quarter of a girls basketball game against Atchison on Dec. 11 at Eudora High School.
