Maize girls win rubber match against Derby

Trying to remember the last time the Maize girls basketball team had lost by more than 30 points was not something coach Jerrod Handy wanted to give much thought.

It was a question he could forget after Friday, when Maize defeated Derby 54-42, erasing the memory of the 34-point drubbing Derby handed the Eagles a week ago in the Emporia tournament.

The victory gave Maize (12-3) a season sweep of the league series against Derby (10-4).

“After we lost (last week), we were just like, ‘C’mon now, we’re better than that,’ ” Maize senior Caitlyn Stewart said. “We knew we were going to come back (Friday) more focused.”

Derby figured it wasn’t going to replicate its lights-out play in Emporia, but coach Jodie Karsak was surprised that the Panthers didn’t continue many of things that had led them on a seven-game winning streak.

The Panthers committed 22 turnovers and scored the fewest points they have since their last loss, a 41-32 defeat to Newton on Jan. 10.

“We weren’t dancing together,” Karsak said. “We were kind of stepping on each other’s toes. The ball was fumbling out of bounds. A lot of things we haven’t done in a long time.”

Maize ensured a repeat of Emporia wouldn’t occur by jumping out to a 17-6 lead after the first quarter and building a 13-point lead in the first half, but Derby would battle back in the third quarter behind 6-foot-6 sophomore Kennedy Brown.

Brown scored 10 of her game-high 15 points in the third quarter, as Derby rallied to tie the score at 33 entering the fourth quarter.

But Maize’s defense would generate nine straight stops to open the fourth quarter, as the Eagles reeled off a 7-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Alexis Cauthon to take a commanding lead it never relented down the stretch.

“We had that embarrassing loss last time we played Derby and I was proud of my girls for coming out tonight with a tough attitude,” Handy said. “I thought our man-to-man defense was great compared to last time we played them and then we rebounded a lot better this time, too.”

Maize had a balanced attack with five scorers between 11 and nine points in Taylor Holmes, Brecken Roe, Cauthon, Stewart, and Halie Jones.

The win marked No. 300 in Handy’s career. He was given a plaque from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association following the game.

“It took me by surprise,” Handy said. “I don’t keep track of that kind of stuff, but it’s a tribute to the girls and the teams that I’ve had in the past. All I do is watch, so a lot of the credit deserves to be given to the girls.”

This story was originally published February 3, 2017 at 9:05 PM with the headline "Maize girls win rubber match against Derby."