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Hughes, Thomas, Scorsone all score in double figures in 55-point rout
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Emily Hughes scored 13 of her game-high 15 points in the second half, and Lexy Thomas and Millie Scorsone also scored in double figures for the Rochester girls basketball team in an 81-26 rout of Whitko at the RHS gym Wednesday.
Playing for the first time in two weeks, the Lady Zs improved to 8-6 overall and 6-0 in the Three Rivers Conference.
Katelynn Cripe scored 11 points, and Kloe Krieg added 10 for Whitko, who fell to 2-12, 0-4.
Cripe’s 3-pointer in the first quarter gave the Lady Wildcats a 3-2 lead, but RHS had a 25-6 lead after one quarter and stretched it to 40-11 at halftime.
RHS went with a first-time lineup of Emma Howdeshell, Sydney Haughs, Kaitlin Rogers,
Thomas and Scorsone.
Scorsone, a sophomore post, scored 10 points in the first quarter finishing around the basket, and Thomas and Howdeshell had six points each.
“We just kept feeding Millie,” Lady Zs coach Brian Jennings said. “They were kind of out on our shooters, and Millie got off to a good start, and as they collapsed, we shot the ball much better tonight and hit some 3s and really pushed the tempo a little bit better than what we’ve done in the past.”
RHS was coming off a 66-34 loss to Pioneer on Dec. 30. The following day, the season was paused for a second time. The team resumed practicing Jan. 8. For the first three practices, the players had to wear masks while they practiced. On Tuesday they practiced without masks.
During the down time, Jennings considered making Howdeshell the focal point of a more uptempo offense.
It led to a more efficient offense. The 81 points were the most points RHS has scored in a game since an 85-77 win over Twin Lakes on Nov. 12, 2005.
“During our little break that we had … we just tried to reevaluate some things, and we really thought it’s best to just let Emma create,” Jennings said. “So we shifted our offense and gave her a little bit more room, and Emma did an excellent job tonight creating and getting people the ball. And that’s when we’re at our best is when Emma can just freelance and do what she wants to a little bit. And she sees the court really well, and we really just let her do that.”
RHS also had scoring balance. The Lady Zs had 35 bench points, and 12 different players scored. That included the first career field goal for Kylie Coleman.
“All 12 girls that we have on that varsity have really picked up the intensity the last few days,” Jennings said. “I think they really know that the TRC is on the line, and the sectional is out there again. I think they got refocused, and it was nice to gain some confidence back in a game situation tonight.”
RHS also won the JV game 62-16.
Rochester 81, Whitko 26
WHITKO (26) (2-12, 0-4)
Zoey Gaff 0 0-0 0, Katelynn Cripe 3 2-2 11, Nadia Rhoades 0 2-2 2, Brookelynn Coburn 0 0-0 0, Kloe Krieg 4 0-0 10, Kylie Fugett 1 1-2 3, Kirsten Schipper 0 0-0 0, Alyson Tucker 0 0-0 0, Maggie Wolfe 0 0-0 0
TEAM: 8 5-6 26
ROCHESTER (81) (8-6, 6-0)
Emma Howdeshell 3 1-2 7, Sydney Haughs 2 0-0 5, Kaitlin Rogers 3 0-0 8, Lexy Thomas 7 0-0 14, Millie Scorsone 5 2-4 12, Kim Batten 1 0-0 3, Emily Hughes 7 0-0 15, Mercedes Brown 1 0-0 3, Kylie Coleman 1 0-0 2, Kennedy Jackson 4 0-1 8, Kallie Watson 2 0-0 4
TEAM: 36 3-7 81
Three-point field goals:
Whitko 5 (Cripe 3, Krieg 2),
Rochester 6 (Rogers 2, Batten, Haughs, Hughes, Brown)
Total fouls: Whitko 11, Rochester 11
Score by quarters
Whitko 6 5 13 2 – 26
Rochester 25 15 20 21 – 81
JV: Rochester 62, Whitko 16
