By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
Coach Alan Billinger told his Thomas More Prep-Marian girls' basketball team before Thursday's contest against Quinter that the starters would see reduced minutes. Billinger wanted to rotate his entire lineup versus Quinter, a Class 1A team with a 1-14 record going into the game.
Billinger, though, told everyone to focus on one aspect.
"Playing TMP basketball and not someone else's basketball," Billinger said.
The Monarchs, cycling through mass substitutions every few minutes, continued their consistent play with another solid effort in a 63-26 victory at Al Billinger Fieldhouse. TMP-Marian, ranked No. 5 in Class 3A, won its 12th straight contest and moved to 13-1 overall. The Monarchs, who set a season-best for fewest points allowed, also bumped their home winning streak to 18 games.
Every player on the Monarchs' roster scored. TMP-Marian began the contest with the regular starting lineup and opened an 18-4 lead against a Bulldog team that has just one senior.
"We are trying every game just to get a little bit better," Quinter coach Will Schaffer said. "Everybody knows we are pretty young this year. Hopefully there are big things coming down the road."
Quinter (1-15) opened in a zone, but TMP-Marian sank eight of its first 11 shots, including 3-pointers from seniors Sophia Schippers and Kaylee Hoffman. In addition, the Monarchs' press forced multiple backcourt turnovers that led to layups. Sophomore Rachel Jacobs led the Monarchs with 14 points, while Hoffman tacked on 12 points and four assists.
"Anytime if you have the good shooters on the outside like we have, that is just going to open (the zone) up," Billinger said. "This is after a couple buckets that Rachel got, she was cutting down the lane and Kaylee got the ball on the high post and we did a back cut to the bucket and she got a couple easy buckets off of it, and that's what we need to do."
With 2:20 left in the first quarter, Billinger replaced his starters with his backups, who lengthened the lead to 28-5 midway through the second quarter. Freshman Katelyn Schumacher, who has seen a few minutes in nearly every varsity contest, collected six points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
"Katelyn has got a lot of skills and I think that she learns to get a little bit more aggressive and gets a little bit more confident, she is going to be a much better ballplayer," Billinger said.
The starters re-entered with 5:39 left in the first half and pushed the lead to 39-9 at intermission. Freshman Heather Ruder, a starter all year, has continually improved and delivered another solid performance with four points, one assist, two rebounds and strong defense that led to two steals, including one that produced a layup. She helped hold Quinter to 3-of-23 (13 percent) shooting in the first half and 7-of-38 (18 percent) overall. Three Bulldogs scored five points.
"She is blending in so well with those girls and she plays much more aggressive," BIllinger said. "What I like about her is her defense. She is really on the ball and she has got such good quick hands and feet and she does such an excellent job.
'She is a very unselfish ball player and she has probably got the best peripheral vision of anybody on the team. When you go against a zone, that's what you have got to do, you've pretty much got to drive and then dish it back out if you don't have a shot, and she does an excellent job of that," he added.
The team's lone negative was free throw shooting. TMP-Marian finished 4-of-12 from the line for 33 percent, tied for its worst percentage of the season.
"Not happy at all with our free throw shooting," Billinger said. "A high school team of this caliber shouldn't be shooting 33 percent from the free throw line."
The Monarchs return to action tonight on the road against Pratt in a critical Mid-State Activities Association contest. A win would move TMP-Marian (4-0 MSAA) closer to a record seventh straight league title. The Monarchs defeated Pratt 58-31 earlier this season in Hays.
"I think they are going to give us some problems with their height," Billinger said. "That is always a concern."
