By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

WILSON -- Natoma High School junior Danica Casey averages 19.3 points and 13.2 rebounds a contest. She ranks seventh in points and third in rebounds in Kansas, according to maxpreps.com. Wilson High School junior Karlie Steinle collects 20.7 points a contest, sixth-best in the state, and 9.9 rebounds.

However, Steinle is surrounded by a stronger and more experienced supporting cast than Casey. At times this winter, Wilson's secondary players have struggled with injuries and consistency, but they provided a big help to Steinle on Tuesday night. Wilson, ranked No. 2 in Class 1A, Division II, collected a 65-31 home victory against the Tigers.

"We have got to have more than just Karlie step up," Wilson coach Rod Seehafer said. "Tonight, we had several people step up and help us score."

Steinle paced the Dragons with 12-of-15 shooting for 27 points and 11 rebounds, both game-highs, and tacked on three assists and two blocks. Casey led her squad with 18 points on 5-of-12 shooting with 11 rebounds.

However, the rest of the Dragons finished 18-of-46 from the field for 38 points. Eight players scored, including 10 each from seniors Emily Beneda and Sarah Lanter.

"She is just a really solid player and she has got five, six, seven, eight other girls that can catch and shoot and make it," Natoma coach Aaron Homburg said. "You can't just guard her, because they will kill you."

Outside of Casey, the Tigers have struggled all season offensively. Natoma, shooting 23 percent and averaging 39 points as a team, lost its fifth straight and dropped to 3-11. Wilson improved to 10-3. Dating back to the 2007-08 season, Wilson has won nine in a row against the Tigers.

"I know Karlie and she is a great girl and she is a great player, too," Casey said. "She just has a mindset that she is going to go in there and win and they all have that and we just need to work on that a little bit more. We are young and we kind of have a tendency to lose to Wilson and we kind of get the mindset that we can't do it, and they always play to win."

Last year, Natoma was 12-10, but graduated three starters. Sophomore Marcy Barth, a starter for most of 2010-11, has missed the entire season because of a back injury. It's uncertain if she'll return. Besides Casey, Natoma was 4-of-29 from the field for 13 points. Three of the field goals and nine of the points came from sophomore Tatum Pfortmiller, who, along with Casey, is the only other returning starter.

"Basically freshman experience out there," Homburg said. "Just find other people to score. They don't have to score big. If I could have five girls score six points that would be perfect.

"Danica is going to get 18 to 20," he added. "... We are a work in progress. We are just trying to improve every game. We work a ton of ball handling. Our practices are fundamental, fundamental, fundamental, fundamental and shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot."

Wilson has also had offensive adjustments from last winter's squad that averaged 57.2 points and finished third in Class 1A, Division II. The Dragons graduated point guard Justine Dlabal, a three-year starter who averaged 10.8 points and had 49 assists, each second to Steinle.

"We are now just starting to get that figured out," Seehafer said of point guard.

As well, Taylor Schoenhofer, the team's fourth-leading scorer (7.2 points per game) and second-best rebounder (7.7), graduated. Sophomore Shania Steinike suffered an ankle injury in a Jan. 15 loss to Lincoln and missed two weeks. She collected five points Tuesday.

"She is starting to find her role out pretty well, she is starting to pass the ball well, handle the ball well, nice to have those," Seehafer said.

While Steinle's numbers have stayed similar to 2010-11, the Dragons have averaged 44 points a contest this winter.

"On our offense this week, we have been working on moving more and passing the ball quicker, so we have our defense shifting and we can catch them off guard," Steinle said. "Sometimes we just stand around and look at each other. If you don't move, you are not going to get open.

"Last year, our team was more quick, get out and go," she added. "This year, we are more set up the offense and try to get an open shot. It has been harder, but we are adjusting."

On Tuesday, Wilson enjoyed its second-highest point total of the season and its 49.1 field goal percentage (30-of-61) marked a season-best. The Dragons led 14-7 after the first quarter and bumped the lead to 37-16 at halftime.

Wilson hit 7-of-8 shots during a three-minute stretch in the second quarter. Lanter entered the game in a shooting slump, but hit four shots in the surge.

"She is a good shooter and she has been trying to play post and forward for us and tonight we tried to move her out and get her more open outside shots and it paid off," Seehafer said.