On paper it appeared that Kanab and Beaver were just about as even of a matchup as you can ask for. What played out was anything but that, as Kanab easily handled the powerhouse that is Beaver, putting on an impressive all-around display and cruising to a 59-43 victory.
Kanab shot lights out offensively, shooting 51% from the field for the entire game. Their defense was equally as impressive and held Beaver to just a 28% conversion rate from the field.
The first half saw a number of runs from both teams. Kanab was ready from the start and scored 8 of the game’s first 11 points.
They went on a 7-0 run to end the first quarter that helped open up an 18-9-point lead for the visitors.
It was much of the same in the second quarter, with Kanab continuing to nail down their shots and making life incredibly difficult for Beaver. They were able to showcase their excellent defense and didn’t allow Beaver to score their first points of the quarter until the 3-minute mark.
Kanab was led by Riley Little, who only missed one shot the entire game and finished with 29 points and was a force to be reckoned with near the basket. Anna Cutler also got in on the action by contributing 12 points, including two 3-pointers.
Kanab head coach Klint Glover knows that while the team put together a statement win and a fantastic all-around performance, he still knows there are things to work on if they want to accomplish their goals, especially on the defensive end.
“Our defense is still a work in progress. We are getting better because we are communicating a little better. When we miss a few shots we sometimes lose interest in defense and rebounding. We included a few more girls tonight that can step up in the postseason and contribute though. It helps to have a basket protector like Rylee too,” said Glover.
In the losing effort, Beaver was led in scoring by Danzee Bradshaw and Gentry Brown who each contributed 11 and 10 points respectively.
“Kanab totally outplayed us. You have to give all of the credit to them. Our level of play was nowhere near where it needed to be,” said Beaver head coach Jonathan Marshall.
Marshall knows that there is no time for his team to get down on themselves after such a tough loss.
“We have to regroup. We just have to put our heads down and go to work. Our message to our girls after the game was that if we make good choices with how we process tonight and hold ourselves accountable, that we will be ok,” added Marshall.
With the win, Kanab remains undefeated on the road, improving their overall record on the season to 18-2, while Beaver drops to 17-3.