EARL WATT
• Leader & Times
For the eighth straight season, the Lady Redskins have opened the Class 6A playoffs with a win. The No. 4 seed Lady Redskins knocked off No. 13 Haysville Campus 72-24 to advance to the Sub-State championship.
Kylie Rhine drained an early three to start a scoring frenzy that included eight threes for the Lady Redskins on the night.
Zoey Torres landed a three later in the first quarter that gave the Lady Redskins a 19-2 lead, and sophomore Madysen Hammond ended the quarter with back-to-back threes that gave the Lady Redskins a 29-6 lead.
Rhine dropped her second three in the second quarter that pushed Liberal’s lead to 40-9, and Hammond ended the first half with her third three that gave the Lady Redskins a 49-14 lead at half.
Rhine sparked a 7-0 run early in the third quarter with a three, and after a free throw from Shamari Lewis, the Lady Redskins had a 56-16 lead.
The Lady Redskins pushed the ball inside and drew fouls. Liberal made it to the free throw line for 10 shots in the quarter and made five of those attempts. By the end of the third quarter the Lady Redskins had a 65-20 lead.
With the running clock in the fourth quarter, Liberal coach Brandi Fowler rested her starters and was able to get playing time for the rest of the team. Trinity Olvera and Rubi Alvarez brought roars from the crowd and their teammates by scoring in the final period, and the Lady Redskins coasted to the 72-24 win.
Rhine Lewis and Maliyah Mullens led Liberal with 13 points each, and Hammond ended her night with a career high 11 points.
Kamilah Delgado had nine.
“There is resolve in this team,” Fowler said. “We started 2-3, and to have earned the right to host a couple of Sub-State games from the start we had shows the work these girls and the assistant coaches have put in, and pushing them every day. It shows the great people and kids we have in Liberal.”
Fowler said it all starts with the defensive effort.
“We do shell drill every day,” she said. “Making sure we jump to the ball, playing team defense, a huge emphasis on blocking out and winning the rebounding battle — These girls are buying in and you are seeing it every possession.”
Liberal will host the Sub-State championship against Wichita East at 5 p.m. Saturday.
“We’ve been heartbroken on this court for several seasons in Sub-State championships,” Fowler said. “It has stuck in our craw. We know we have our work cut out for us.”
