Hulbert rides past Warner

December 17, 2008 12:08 am

— 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.”

Hulbert boys 74, Warner 45
Warner led early, 7-6, but Hulbert closed the half with a 30-12 run generated by the defensive play of its second five.
“We wanted to concentrate on defense and running the floor and in the first quarter, we didn’t do that,” Hulbert coach Rhett Bynum said. “When we went to our bench that second group jump-started us defensively with our pressure. That pressure was what gave us a cushion at halftime.”
Warner had eight turnovers in the last 11 minutes and it continued to rain turnovers. The Eagles gave up eight in the third quarter and were down 18 before both teams went deep into their benches in the fourth quarter.
“When we stand and look we’re not a very good defensive team. When we picked up the intensity we stretched it out,” Bynum said.
Gabe Labounty led Warner (1-6, 0-3) with 16 points. Jed Baker had 14. Hulbert (4-3, 3-1) got a more balanced offense led by Skyler Heaton and Terrance Blue out of that second five with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Dustin Shade and Cody Potts, both of whom started, had 10 points each.

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