Keota eliminates Highland in a Class 1A regional quarterfinal, 49-43

RIVERSIDE — Steals were Keota’s second-half trademark.

“Yeah, to make up for the ones we gave away,” Coach Jeff Sprouse said.

Keota forced 31 turnovers, held Highland scoreless for the final 4:20 and eliminated the Huskies, 49-43, in a helter-skelter Class 1A girls basketball regional quarterfinal Tuesday night at Highland High School.

“Defense takes a lot of energy,” Keota sophomore Elyse Lyle said. “We stayed focused on the ball ... it seemed the possessions were everywhere.”

Keota (18-5) started the season with a 22-point victory over Highland. This one was much, much closer, but the victor was the same.

What the game lacked in aesthetics — a combined 57 turnovers and 40 fouls — it made up for in emotion and effort.

Highland (20-4) took its final lead, 43-41, on Hailey Brun’s 3-pointer with 4:20 remaining, but the Huskies didn’t score again.

Emily Conger answered Brun’s triple with one of her own, 20 seconds later. Lyle followed with a putback shortly thereafter, then the Eagles clinched it at the line.

“It was a matter of settling in,” Sprouse said. “It was uncharacteristic, we gave up some drives in the first half.

“We talked at halftime, ‘We’ve got to stay in front. Then we did a good job of creating steals.”

The Eagles had 19 of them (12 in the second half), six from Cameron Haifley. That, plus a 5-of-18 second-half shooting performance by Highland, limited the Huskies to 13 points after intermission.

Keota advances to face No. 6 Dunkerton (20-2) in a regional semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday, at Dunkerton.

Highland led virtually throughout the first half and took a 30-25 lead into halftime. The Eagles flipped it with a 14-6 third quarter.

Lyle paced Keota with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Haifley scored 10 to go with the six steals.

Conger and Jessalyn Aller tallied eight apiece.

Brun led Highland with 13 points. Kamryn Fink provided 11 points, 10 rebounds and four steals, but was limited to two points in the second half.

Keota 49, Highland 43

Class 1A Regional Quarterfinal, at Riverside

KEOTA (49): Cameron Haifley 3-14 4-6 10, Elyse Lyle 4-8 5-9 13, Kennedy Jackson 1-6 1-2 3, Emily Conger 3-4 0-0 8, Karley Greiner 0-1 1-4 1, Jessalyn Aller 3-9 2-5 8, Dakota Dodd 2-9 0-0 6, Adyson Ahlberg 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-51 13-26 49.

HIGHLAND (43): Kamryn Fink 5-10 0-2 11, Mackenzie Davis 1-5 2-4 4, Hailey Brun 4-12 4-8 13, Katelyn Thomann 3-3 0-0 6, Emersyn Schultz 0-4 1-2 1, Kinzie Ruess 4-8 0-1 8, Autumn Guseman 0-2 0-0 0, Emily Herrig 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-44 7-17 43.

Keota 9 16 14 10 — 49

Highland 13 17 6 7 — 43

3-point goals: Keota 4-18 (Haifley 0-5, Jackson 0-2, Conger 2-2, Aller 0-1, Dodd 2-8), Highland 2-8 (Fink 1-4, Brun 1-1, Schulte 0-2, Guseman 0-1). Team fouls: Keota 20, Highland 20. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Keota 36 (Lyle 10), Highland 34 (Fink 10). Assists: Keota 10 (Haifley 3), Highland 6 (Brun, Thumann 2). Steals: Keota 19 (Haifley 6), Highland 16 (Schultz 6). Turnovers: Keota 26, Highland 31.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com