Hume falls in low-scoring title game

Hume guard Kayla Orear eyes the basket during Thursday's GVVCC South Division girls basketball title game. Orear scored six points as the Lady Hornets lost to Montrose 31-22.

By Joe Warren

Nevada Daily Mail

The Montrose Lady Blue Jays knew what made the Hume offense tick. In Thursday's Golden Valley/Vernon County Conference South Division championship game, the Lady Jays stopped leading scorer Kayla Orear, and in turn stopped the Lady Hornets, 31-22.

Orear, who plays point guard for Hume and is also the most consistent shooter, was limited to six points and the Lady Hornet offense suffered.

The Lady Jays employed a box-and-one defense on Hume, matching up man-to-man on Orear while playing a zone with the other four players on the floor.

The defense worked wonderfully for Montrose. Hume struggled, particularly in the first quarter, being held scoreless and only getting four shots off in the eight-minute period.

The rest of the game was not much better for the Lady Hornets. They only scored six points in the second quarter and were again held to six in the third.

Going into the fourth quarter Montrose led 20-12.

"We never did get into any kind of a flow," Hume coach Larry Berry said.

The Hume defense was almost as good, holding Montrose to only six points in both the first and third period. The Lady Jays managed only eight points in the second.

In the second half Hume went to a full-court press, trying to create some offense in transition.

The move worked in the fourth quarter as Hume scored 11 points, almost matching their total from the rest of the game.

"I was pleased with the press situation," Berry said. "We should have done it the whole game."

Of course the press also opened things up a little for Montrose as they scored 10 in the fourth period to keep Hume down.

Berry was disappointed that he did not get more production in the paint from post players Nicole Hinton and Janine Castillo.

Both players had numerous opportunities inside, and both missed a multitude of short shots.

"I was a little disappointed that our posts couldn't take advantage in the paint," Berry said.

Montrose only had three players score, as two of them accounted for 28 of the Lady Jays' 31 points.

Lauren Eye scored 16 and Jessica Day had 12 to pace Montrose.

Orear tied with Castillo and Cindy Murdock for the team-high in scoring as each had six points.

With the win, Montrose advances to the conference title game.

Leeton won the North Division by beating Kingsville Thursday, 56-42.

The conference championship game will take place in Butler.