CHS uses big second half to down Abilene

ABILENE — Whatever it was that Concordia High School girls' basketball coach Trey Kuhlman said to his team at halftime — it worked.
Concordia, going nearly 10 minutes without scoring in the first half, trailed Abilene 21-8 at the break.
Starting with a 15-1 run in the first 5:02, the Panthers outscored the Cowgirls 36-9 in the second half to capture a 44-30 North Central Kansas League victory.
“I just told them we are going to ride this thing together or we are going to sink this together, and I thought our girls responded well after that,” Kuhlman said of the halftime talk. “I jumped a few of them and said 'we need to get better effort out of a few of you' and that is exactly what we needed.”
Concordia completed the two-game series sweep of Abilene and is now 5-11 overall and 2-6 in league play.
The Panthers scored the first four points of the game.
Four straight points by Claira Dannefer pulled Abilene even at 4-4.
Taylor McDaniel scored with 2:48 remaining in the first quarter to give Concordia a 6-4 advantage.
The Panthers would not score again until a follow by Charlize Cash with 1:00 to play in the opening half.
Abilene got baskets by Callie Powell and Dannefer to go up 8-6 heading into the second quarter.
The Cowgirls tossed in nine straight points to push the lead to 17-6.
Cash’s follow left Concordia trailing 17-8.
Abilene scored the final four points of the game to make it a 21-8 game.
Sparked by Cash, the Panthers caught fire offensively to start the second half.
Concordia got a steal and layup by Cash, a follow by Acree and another steal and layup by Cash to close the gap to 21-14 in the first 1:57 of the third quarter.
“We told her that sometimes she doesn't score the basketball for us but needs to use her length to the best of her ability. She should be able to get steals like that,” Kuhlman said of Cash. She had five steals in the game.
Amara Johnson made one of two free throws, and Abilene led 22-14.
Cianna DeLeon hit from 15 feet and Cash scored the next seven points to give the Panthers the lead back at 23-22.
A jumper by Blair Adams put Abilene back up 24-23.
Cash, who scored 14 of her season-high 22 points in the third quarter, scored off an offensive rebound and was fouled. The freshman made the free throw to make it 26-24.
A bucket by Aiden Bruna pulled the Cowgirls even at 26-26.
Carlie Carlgren hit from 10 feet in the final seconds of the third quarter, and Concordia took a 28-26 cushion into the final period.
“Our main focus was defense to start, that was the way we were going to get back into the game, limit them to one opportunity each time and being able to capitalize offensively. We made layups, we shot the ball well at the free throw line, and you have got to capitalize on small things like that,” Kuhlman said.
Concordia got a three-point play by Cash and a jumper by DeLeon to open the fourth quarter, and led 33-26.
Abilene went 3:44 without scoring before getting a bucket by Dannefer that made it a 33-28 game.
Dannefer led the Cowgirls with 14 points.
Concordia shut out Abilene over the next 3:31.
McDaniel scored inside, Kinsleigh Bethune drilled a three-point shot and Carlgren made two free throws to extend the Panthers’ lead to 40-28 with just 52 seconds to play.
Cash went four of four from the line over the final 33 seconds as Concordia finished off the road win.
“I think it shows we are being confident basketball players now. Our girls are believing in what  we three coaches are telling them and they are going out and doing it,” Kuhlman said of the come-from-behind win. “Just being confident right now, they are not a group that is going to back down from any challenge we are going to ask them to go do.”
Carlgren finished with seven points for Concordia and McDaniel added six.
Concordia will host Chapman in a league game on Friday night.

CONCORDIA (44)
Bethune 1-0-2 3, DeLeon 2-0-3 4, Acree 1-0-4 2, Carlgren 2-3-5 7, Cash 7-5-0 22, McDaniel 3-0-2 6. Totals: 17-8-17 44.
ABILENE (30)
Bruna 1-0-1 2, Johnson 0-1-2 1, Stout 0-0-5 0, Debenham 0-0-2 0, Dannefer 5-4-0 14, Adams 1-0-3 2, Bathurst 1-0-1 2, Walter 2-0-5 4, Powell 1-3-0 5. Totals: 11-8-19 30.