Kenny Ash didn’t want to make excuses.

Yes, his Hickman boys basketball team put together a strong second half to pull out an emotional road victory over Quincy, Ill., Notre Dame on Friday after trailing at halftime.

True, the Kewpies got home after midnight and had to turn around less than 24 hours later to play Kickapoo in the MFA Oil/Break Time Shootout. And, of course, the pressing style of defense Hickman loves to play takes its toll.

But you still have to play the game.

In the first half, the Kewpies (5-9) did just that, going toe to toe with Kickapoo (12-2). The second half, however, was a different story. While Hickman ran out of gas, the Chiefs kept going and going and going, running away with a 79-58 victory at Mizzou Arena.

"Shots just weren’t falling, and theirs did," Ash said succinctly.

Hickman shot 40 percent for the game - 30 percent in the second half. Even more telling for the Kewpies were the shots from 3-point range - 5 of 7 in the first half and 0 for 8 after intermission. Kickapoo made nearly 59 percent from the field on 32-of-54 shooting.

"We played a good first half with them, I thought," Ash said. "I thought we would come out with more energy in the second half, but it just didn’t happen."

Hickman led 5-2, before Kickapoo rebounded to go ahead 16-10. Two Kewpies 3-pointers knotted the game at 16 with about two minutes left in the first quarter. A Lyle Harris 3-pointer pulled Hickman to within one at 20-19, but all-state guard Kyle Vaughan hit a bucket just before the buzzer to give Kickapoo a 22-20 advantage.

Hickman trailed by as many as 12 points in the second quarter, but a steal and layup by Harris with 14 seconds before the break cut the Chiefs lead to 38-30. Early in the second half, the Kewpies cut the margin to six but could get no closer.

Kickapoo, which led by as many as 26 points, used its size to its advantage, scoring 38 points in the paint to just 18 for Hickman.

"They got to the lane on us today, and that is something we really try to work on in practice," Ash said. "They got to the lane off the dribble and passes in the lane. That’s just something that we talked about from Day One.

Ash attributed some of the Kewpies struggles on defense to a lack of communication.

"Defensively, we’ve got to talk more," Ash said. "The style of defense that we play, guys have to talk. Sometimes we’re not talking, and guys get wide open and they’re usually by the basket."

Dusty Allen led four Kickapoo players in double figures with a game-high 26 points. Dustin Downs added 15, while Vaughan chipped in 11 and Alex Hall had 10.

The Chiefs also pounded Hickman on the boards, 40-21. Downs grabbed 12 rebounds.

"They’re a great rebounding team, and that’s an area we struggle in," Ash said. "And it showed tonight."

Hickman was led by Tyler Stevens with 12. Harris had 10.

"It was a long bus ride home for us and a big win, but they played last night, too," Ash said. "We both had to bounce back. Kickapoo is a good team. We’re not a bad team, but we still have room for improvements."

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