- Story by Hays Daily News -

By RANDY GONZALES

rgonzales@dailynews.net

PRATT -- Monarch coach Alan Billinger had seen enough.

The Pratt prep girls' basketball team slowed down the tempo in the first five minutes of Friday night's game.

"We were worried that they would do that again," Billinger said of the Greenbacks' slow-down tactic that they tried in Hays last season.

After senior guard Kaylee Hoffman got a steal and layup to put Thomas More Prep-Marian up 7-5 with 3:03 left in the first quarter, Billinger called a timeout.

The Monarchs slapped on a devastating full-court press after the timeout, forcing turnover after turnover -- with Hoffman forcing several of them -- in an 18-3 run over the final 2:58 of the first quarter.

Billinger said the press was in the game plan all along.

"Go full-court -- just a matter of when," he said.

Hoffman scored 11 of her game-high 19 points in the first half, several times scoring off turnovers in the Monarch' eventual 68-34 win.

"Kaylee led the charge," Billinger said. "I think (Pratt) woke up a sleeping dog."

TMP-Marian, ranked fifth in Class 3A, won its 13th straight game. The Monarchs are now 14-1 overall and 5-0 in the Mid-State Activities Association.

The Monarchs led 25-8 after the first quarter and 42-20 at halftime, the most points in a half all season.

"We wanted to put on defensive pressure, get the ball out, control the boards, run," Billinger said. "Outside shooting was good."

The Monarchs made six 3-pointers, including three from senior guard Sophia Schippers, who made all of her treys in the first half.

TMP-Marian outscored Pratt (5-10 overall, 2-3 MSAA) by 15 points in the third quarter to lead 62-25 entering the final eight minutes. The starters didn't play in the fourth quarter.

"First three quarters, I thought the starters did a good job executing the game plan," Billinger said.

Sophomore Rachel Jacobs added 13 points and pulled down a game-high eight rebounds for the Monarchs. Freshman Heather Ruder and Schippers both finished with nine points, while senior Jessa Stramel and sophomore Jenna Lang each scored seven.

Pratt got 13 points from senior Ashton Neumann.

TMP-Marian will be home Tuesday to play Larned.

See more at: www.hdnews.net/sports/

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