Kendra Bass sparks Lebanon past Highland in shootout
Lebanon guard Kendra Bass scored seven of her 16 points in the third quarter to help highlight a 19-4 scoring spurt Saturday as the Greyhounds rallied for a 48-41 win over Highland at the Highland Optimist Shootout.
Trailing throughout the first half and down by a 23-16 margin at halftime, the Greyhounds turned up the defensive pressure and turned loose Bass and senior center Madison Schoenfeld in the final two quarters.
Diagnosed on Friday with a strained IT band in her left leg, Schoenfeld went to work in the post with Bass, while senior Krista Bass and junior Emily Reinneck added 3-point baskets. Krista Bass’ 3-pointer tied the game at 26, and when twin sister Kendra Bass scored second later, Lebanon had a 28-26 lead after three quarters.
The Greyhounds (18-0) would not trail again as they posted a second straight come-from-behind win. Lebanon rallied to defeat Okawville 38-31 on Thursday.
“At halftime, I told the girls that there was nothing to be afraid of,” Lebanon coach Chad Cruthis said. “We were behind the other night against Okawville and came back and won. We made some mistakes, but had we made a few more of our free throws in the first half, it might have been a different story.
“Kendra (Bass) made the suggestion at halftime that we put both both her and Madison (Schoenfeld) both down low. She was able to get behind the defense for a couple of baskets, and Madison stepped out and hit a pair of 10-, 15-foot jumpers. I have to give Kendra a little bit of the credit.”
Emily Reinneck added three of her 10 points on a 3-point jumper early in the fourth quarter to complete the 19-4 scoring run as the Greyhounds grabbed a 37-30 lead.
“I wasn’t worried when we were behind. We were behind the other night against Okawville and came back to win,” Krista Bass said. “We just had to settle down and play the way we know we can.”
Highland (11-6), fresh off a third-place finish at the Mascoutah Invitational last weekend, closed to within three points twice in the late going as junior guards Kayla Eads and Emmy Nyquist connected on 3-point jumpers. But with both Schoenfeld and Emily Reinneck scoring five fourth-quarter points, the Greyhounds’ lead was safe.
The loss was the second straight for Highland, which dropped a nonconference decision to Central on Thursday.
“We’re struggling a little bit right now,” Highland coach Mike Arbuthnot said. “The first half today we played well. We had good focus, and we got after it pretty good. Our defense did a good job.”
“But in the second half, we lost our way a little bit and that was disappointing.”
Nyquist and Ellie Brown led Highland with nine points each.
This story was originally published January 6, 2018 at 3:48 PM with the headline "Kendra Bass sparks Lebanon past Highland in shootout."