Kernels' winning streak hits eight

After a slow start, the No. 3 Mitchell Kernels went on a 12-0 run to open the second quarter en route to a 49-34 victory over Brookings in an Eastern South Dakota Conference girls’ basketball game Tuesday at the Corn Palace in Mitchell.

With the win, Mitchell (13-2, 9-1 ESD) picked up its eighth straight win and has won the last 32 of its 34 games. Before the Kernels lost to Sioux Falls Washington and Aberdeen Central — back-to-back in early January — Mitchell stretched its win streak to 24.

With the Kernels’ offensive struggles and outside shooting by Brookings, the score was tied at 10 at the end of the first quarter.

“We didn’t come out very strong offensively, so we really needed to rely on our defense and we did,” said Mitchell’s Kristin Sabers, who had four points and seven rebounds.

Mitchell came out with urgency in the second, changing its game plan against the Bobcats, who won the rebounding battle 35-33.

“We changed to man (defense) and went out of the zone,” said Mitchell head coach Wes Morgan, whose team shot 32 percent in the first half. “When we went to man, that seemed to bother them. Defensively, we got some hands on the ball and created some offense on the other end.”

Mitchell’s second-quarter success was led by Kerri Young, who scored seven points in the frame. The Kernels held the Bobcats (2-14, 2-9 ESD), who also shot 32 percent in the first half, to just four points in the second, giving Mitchell a 26-14 lead heading into the locker room.

The third quarter was controlled by the Kernels as they went on another streak, scoring 11 straight points. Again, Young led Mitchell offensively in the quarter, scoring nine of her game-leading 22 points in the third.

The Kernels, who shot 39 percent from the field in the second half, built to their largest lead in the fourth quarter at 26 points with 4:08 to play. Mitchell finished the game shooting 18-of-51 for 35 percent from the field, while Brookings shot 13-of-41 for 32 percent.

Macy Miller followed Young, who added a team-high nine rebounds, with 18 points. Brookings had one player in double-digit scoring figures in Lauren Coughlin, who finished with 10 points.

“They’re well coached and did a nice job taking us out of what we wanted to get done,” Morgan said. “Going forward, we have to get better at what we do if we want to win the big games.”

The Kernels get that challenge as they host top-ranked Aberdeen Central at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Corn Palace in Mitchell.

MITCHELL 49

BROOKINGS 34

Mitchell (13-2, 9-1 ESD)

Megan Farnham 1-5 1-2 3; Macy Miller 4-16 7-8 16; Courtney 1-3 0-2 2; Kerri Young 8-19 4-4 22; Kristin Sabers 2-4 0-0 4; Berkley Reitveld 0-0 0-0 0; Torrie Michels 0-2 0-1 0; Emma Schmidt 0-0 0-0 0; Katelyn Held 0-0 0-0 0; Taylor Volesky 1-2 0-0 2; Shelly Iburg 0-0 0-0 0; Ashley Larson 0-0 0-0 0; Totals: 18-51 12-17 49.

Brookings (2-14, 2-8 ESD)

Kaitlyn Hadley 3-10 0-0 6; Emily Johnson 1-6 0-0 3; Lauren Coughlin 3-10 2-3 10; Amelia Miller 1-6 3-6 5; Margaret Chell 1-2 0-0 2; Jenna Thomas 0-1 0-0 0; Sidney Berreth 1-1 0-0 2; Sara Tvedt 1-2 0-0 2; Kelsey Parker 2-3 0-0 4; Totals: 13-41 5-9 34.

M 10 26 39 49

B 10 14 19 34

3-point goals: M 3-9 (Miller 1, Young 2), B 3-13 (Johnson 1, Coughlin 2); Rebounds: M 33 (Young 9, Sabers 7), B 35 (Miller 6); Assists: M 9 (Farnham 4), B 3; Steals: M 8 (Miller 3), B 5 (Hadley 3); Turnovers: M 10, B 14; Personal fouls: M 12, B 14; Technical fouls: None.

JV: Mitchell 40-28. Shelly Iburg had 15 points.

Sophomores: Brookings 48-39. Julie Knight scored 15 points and Kaley Nolz recorded 11.

Freshmen: Brookings 25-13. Brenna Morgan scored eight points.

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