The basketball court at Oakland Junior High is a wee bit smaller than the regulation-sized court at Hickman. More important, at least for the purpose of last night’s girls basketball game, Oakland’s was dry as a desert.

Nick King photo

Hickman’s Taylor Ford, center, and Lauren Nolke, right, swarm Glendale’s Mallory O’Connell during the Kewpies’ 63-28 victory last night at Oakland Junior High School.

Two nights after Hickman’s leaky roof cut short the Kewpies’ raucous crosstown matchup against Rock Bridge, Tonya Mirts’ team escaped to Oakland’s cozy confines for last night’s "home" game. This time, the only leaks came from Glendale’s offense.

The second-ranked Kewpies suffocated Glendale into 20 turnovers and used a lopsided third quarter to coast to their 16th consecutive victory, winning 63-28.

Even better news came before the game: Hickman gym is safe to return. The Kewpies (16-1) host Pembroke Hill, the third-ranked team in Class 3, on their home floor at 5:30 tonight.

After Wednesday’s bizarre finish - Hickman trailed Rock Bridge 20-19 when the game was delayed early in the third quarter and eventually suspended indefinitely because of slippery spots on the court - the Kewpies were relieved to play anywhere. Even if it meant borrowing a junior high gym a few miles north of their home floor.

"It’s a little smaller court than we’re used to," Hickman guard Lauren Nolke said. "But we were ready to get back on the floor and play a full game."

Mirts didn’t get that exact impression from her team, at least not a few minutes before tip-off.

"I didn’t really know how to take them," she said. "They were pretty somber in the locker room. That would be the best way to describe them. I just said, ‘Are we all right?’ And they said, ‘Yeah, it’s just the calm before the storm.’ "

As the storm erupted, the smaller court might have worked to the Kewpies’ advantage. Hickman’s usually plucky pressure defense gave Glendale even less room to maneuver through the maze of defenders as its guards brought the ball up the court. The Kewpies (16-1) forced seven turnovers in the third quarter alone, leading to a 12-0 run that put the lead out of reach.

"It’s a little harder to break a press" on the smaller court "because it seems like there’s a lot of them out there," said Glendale Coach Renee Temple, whose team fell to 4-11. "I thought they had six or seven" defenders "a couple times."

The Kewpies were no less effective on the other end of the floor, especially their leading scorer. Junior guard Yvonne Anderson was held scoreless in the first quarter but outscored Glendale 10-7 in the third quarter. She finished with a game-high 16 points, none prettier than her final two.

With the clock winding down in the third quarter, Anderson found herself isolated with Brittany Cataldi in the corner along the baseline. Anderson used a crossover dribble to toy with her defender, then backed off and lofted a jumper as the buzzer sounded. Her final bucket extended Hickman’s lead to 55-24 going into the fourth quarter.

"She can take over a game, and tonight was a game where she got everyone involved," Mirts said of Anderson, whose other highlight play came on a fast-break give-and-go to Nolke in the first quarter.

"She truly is one of the most unselfish players I think we’ve had. She’s not worried about one stat. She’s just all about us winning. But when it’s time to get the job done, like when she had the ball at the end of the" third "quarter, she knows it’s her job. She’s going to get a shot up, and it’s going to be a good shot."

Anderson didn’t do it alone. Nolke scored 13 points, while Ciara Tatum provided a boost off the bench with nine points and a couple of steals in the run-away third quarter. Point guard Taylor Ford added seven points, and Chasity Prince drilled a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter.

With 10 points, forward Kaley Lyons was Glendale’s only player to score in double digits.

"You’ve got to give Hickman credit. They have a great team," Temple said. "Defensively, they just smother you and cause you to rush and do things you normally wouldn’t do."

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