By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The Bishop LeBlond girls' basketball team (6-0) got off to a 20-7 start and fended off a late comeback from Stanberry to win 58-48 at Grace Gymnasium Friday.
The No. 5 Eagles set the tone right out of the gate, as junior Tatum Studer scored nine points in the first quarter alone.
The second quarter, however, belonged to Stanberry (3-2) as the Bulldogs went on a 17-4 run to tie the game at 24-24 at half.
The third quarter was anybody's game as it started raining three-pointers. Both LeBlond and Stanberry made four triples as a team in the third and the game remained tied 40-40 entering the fourth.
Stanberry was held to just eight points in the final eight minutes, while LeBlond scored 18 in the final quarter, including a 10-2 run to go up 54-46 with just over a minute left.
"They came out with a much better attitude and effort in the second half," LeBlond coach Jackie Ziesel said of her team. "That's what we discussed in the locker room - as long as we play together as a team and make that extra pass and do the little things, we'll come out with a win, and that's what we did."
Senior Kianna Herrera ended up with a game-high 19 points, including three triples in the third quarter. Studer was right behind with 16 points, while junior Shae Lewis contributed 12.
"We have so much talent on this team," Herrera said. "So many alphas that can do everything. So, when people play us, they don't just go, 'Okay we have to stop this person or this person.' They have to stop all of us collectively, and when we have a team like that like we do this year, it's really scary, because all of us can shoot the ball, drive the ball and get it done."
Stanberry made eight threes, but couldn't survive 19 turnovers. Mizzou track and field commit Lexi Craig led the way for the Bulldogs with 13 points. Sadie Runde had 11, as did Tarynn Mattson. Amelia Wallace finished with eight.
The LeBlond girls play at North Platte on Tuesday.
Stanberry boys start slow, chips away in comeback over LeBlond
The first quarter was about as dismal as they come for Stanberry. After being held scoreless for the first 7:45 of the game and trailing 13-2, the Bulldogs kept chiseling away and trailed 17-10 at the half.
And then just 24-22 after three. Then it was tied with four minutes left. Suddenly, Stanberry (5-1) had its first lead, 33-31, with 2:12 to go, and the Bulldogs never looked back.
"Starting down 13-0, we knew we had to get going quick or it could get ugly," said Austin Schwebach, who led Stanberry with 15 points. "So, coach (Nick Groomer) just told us to keep running our offense, make smart plays and get good shots and they'll start falling eventually."
No. 7 Stanberry locked down on defense, holding LeBlond to just four made field goals in the fourth quarter, and the Bulldogs held on for a 38-35 victory.
The Bulldogs won, despite not making a single three-pointer and missing five free throws in the fourth quarter. They also survived a half court, buzzer beater three-point attempt from LeBlond's Chris Guldan, which would have sent the game to overtime, but bounced off the side of the rim.
Austin's brother, Tyler Schwebach, finished with 10 points. Colby McQuinn chipped in six.
Jake Korell led LeBlond with 14 points. Alex Libel chipped in 10.
Both Stanberry teams head to Albany on Tuesday. The LeBlond boys head to Maryville Thursday.
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