Wildcats send Bulldogs packing
Photo by Josh McDonald/ Kellogg's Kat Rauenhorst goes up for the left-handed hook during Kellogg's win over Sandpoint.
KELLOGG –– They say that defense wins championships and the Kellogg girls basketball team has a nasty one.
On Tuesday night, the Lady Wildcats bullied their way passed the Sandpoint Bulldogs and walked out of Andrews Gymnasium with a 53-36 win.
Kellogg began the game strong, but Sandpoint was able to keep the game close by hitting timely shots to keep the game within reach.
The Wildcats went into the break with a 26-19 lead, but that was as close at it would ever get.
It was an all out blitz in the third quarter as Kellogg built a quick 17 point lead on the back of their defensive pressure.
The Bulldogs would cut the deficit down to seven once again, but Kellogg would re-apply the pressure and finish the game on a nice run to put the game away.
“It’s always great to get a win over a bigger school,” Kellogg coach Jana Nearing said. “I felt we came out and we executed well. I thought our defense was great. I was a little nervous at the end of the third quarter beginning of the fourth quarter, but we bounced back and got our momentum back.”
Freshman Hailey Cheney continued her run of early season MVP-calibur play finishing with 18 points and eight rebounds for Kellogg, followed by Jaron Figueroa who had 15 points of her own.
Cheney has been rock solid early on for Kellogg, something Nearing credits to both Cheney and the rest of her team.
“Hailey is playing great right now. We have a group of girls who absolutely push Hailey in practice and have toughened her up for us,” Nearing said. “We also have guards who are doing a great job of finding her in the post and getting her the looks she needs to be successful. Hailey is naturally gifted, but it is nice to have Kat Rauenhorst and Kaitlin Senteney here to push her and a Jaron Figueroa and others to get her the ball.”
Kellogg hosts Shadle Park Wednesday night, November 28, at 5 p.m. followed by the boys home opener.