By Mike Kays

Phoenix Sports Editor

WARNER — Paiten Taylor has a nose for the basketball and the wounds to show for it.

Playing in her third game since breaking her nose for the second time this season, the 6-0 junior looked a little tentative at times early but quietly piled up a game-high 27 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots in helping the Lady Riders to a 45-33 victory in a pair of Big Eight Conference contenders at the Warner Event Center on Tuesday night.

“I get a lot of elbows,” she said after shedding a protective faceguard outside her locker room. “I’ve broken it four times, including once last summer and then last week.”

Taylor had 16 of her points in the second half. By then, Hulbert (6-1, 3-1 Big Eight and ranked No. 8 in Class 2A by Okrankings.com) had built a 19-9 lead at the break, thanks mostly to some Warner offense that was as cold as the freezing drizzle falling outside.

But the unranked Lady Eagles heated up. Senior Sarah Smithson, who finished with 16 points, had a run of seven straight points, finishing it with a 3-pointer, to make it a 35-27 contest. But Taylor scored on a drive to the basket then LaRae Arnall turned her own steal at midcourt into a layup and a 37-27 lead with 4:24 to play as part of a 12-0 run that put the contest away.

Taylor left after a pair of free throws at the 1:19 mark with her team up 45-27.

“I really didn’t think I played that well,” Taylor said.

Hulbert coach Bruce Hobgood saw some flatness with his team, particularly early.

“We came off that three-overtime loss to Savanna in McAlester (at the Southeast Shootout finals on Saturday) and I hate coming back on a Tuesday following a tournament,” he said. “It’s always hard to get back in synch in that turnaround.”

Warner coach Justin Kana saw enough of an effort, particularly from Taylor, but noted his team’s flaws lended itself to the defeat which dropped the Lady Eagles to 5-2, 2-2 in conference.

“When you’re athletic you’re going to score your share of points and she can outjump anybody in the gym,” he said. “She kind of quietly rolled up her numbers but I thought Sarah Smithson did too. Good athletes are going to do that.

“Defensively, I thought we did a pretty good job on her most of the night and then we’d lose her a time or two. She’d come in high on us instead of low and catch us off guard. We’d let her catch the ball and we’d wind up fouling her or she hit a jump shot. The bottom line, like I told our girls, we’ve got to execute better.”