Lucas-Luray moves to 12-3
By CONOR NICHOLL
CHASE -- The Lucas-Luray girls' prep basketball team has followed a similar formula all season. Senior point guard Kisha O'Meara runs the offense and hits 3-pointers. All-state senior forward Jenna Ulrich is a force inside. Senior Alia Naegele plays consistent defense.
And the Cougars win.
It was the same formula in a 48-34 victory against Chase on Tuesday night. O'Meara, who has received looks from multiple NAIA schools and junior colleges, delivered 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 5-of-8 3-pointers. Ulrich, a Fort Hays State University volleyball signee, picked up 16 points and 11 rebounds. Naegele, whom Lucas-Luray coach Joyce Fleming calls "a monster on defense," had two points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. All three are four-year starters.
"They are just good team leaders," Fleming said. "They are just always hustling. They are always looking for their teammates, always encouraging, saying, 'If you do something wrong, that's OK.' I have got a really good group of seniors."
Lucas-Luray, in its last year before consolidating with Sylvan Grove-Sylvan Unified, improved to 12-3.
"We play pretty good as a team," Ulrich said. "The chemistry is there."
Lucas-Luray led 10-0 early and built a 48-27 advantage after three quarters. Ulrich, who averages 17 points and 12 rebounds, has scored in double figures every contest.
The 6-foot senior has 11 double-doubles, including seven in a row. A more mature Ulrich has also improved as a passer and all-around player; she tacked on two assists and a screen that helped a teammate for a wide-open layup.
"I kind of have an idea of what I am going to do," she said. "The post moves come. I don't have to think about what I am going to do. If the defense is playing behind, I go low. It doesn't process in my mind step-by-step."
In the first quarter, Ulrich helped Lucas-Luray outscored Chase 18-6. She scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds. In addition, Naegele scored the game's first basket off an offensive rebound and grabbed two rebounds in the quarter.
"They did a really good job of hitting weakside and our girls did a poor job of dropping into that weakside," Chase coach Jason Briar said. "In some cases it worked when they missed some shots, but they beat us on the offensive boards pretty easily. Jenna did a great job. Actually, the whole team did a great job on offensive rebounding."
Late in the first quarter, Ulrich grabbed an offensive rebound and, instead of shooting, shoveled a pass down low to junior Raquel Sharp for a score that pushed the lead to 12. O'Meara, who averages 14 points a game and shoots 37 percent from beyond the arc, took over in the second and third quarters.
"I have been playing the game for many years as a point guard and I like to take leadership in my team and get them on my back and carry them. I really like that," she said.
The 5-6 O'Meara, who has had trouble with shin splints, put kinesio tape on her legs for the first time. She hit two shots, including a 3, in the second quarter.
"Her shot is deadly," Briar said. "It's straight on and she has got a chance every time she puts it up."
In the third, she made four shots in a 5 1/2-minute stretch, usually 3s from the left side of the arc.
"She said, 'We've got to do this every night because it's good luck,' " Fleming said with a smile. "We talked about calling timeout and taping everybody."
With six minutes left in the game, Fleming pulled Ulrich and O'Meara as the Cougars solidified their fifth straight victory.
Chase (4-12) was led by 15 points from senior Ashley Kelso.