Breanna Sanford hit 4 3 point shots in the first half, including one from NBA range, to help lead her Royals over the Rams 58-44. The Royals took command early in the game and never trailed. Sanford hit two 3’s quickly to build a huge lead over the Rams which didn’t put any points on the board until about halfway through the first period thanks to a relentless Royal defense.
The game got a little chippy and dirty at times as a Rams player blocked Sophomore Mackenzie Stuckey drilling her hard onto the floor. The tough Stuckey got right back up but the play led to a technical foul on the Rams as their coach ran out onto the floor. Senior Cassi McNeil sank the free throws and the Royals got the ball back. At one point in the game, the lead referee had to tell the visiting Rams fans to watch their mouths as they were chirping about everything all night. It led him to tell the coaches and the athletic directors that they either play clean or the game would be over right then and there. In the fourth period, a Rams fan was ejected from the game as he ran out onto the court to dispute a call. Royals coach Andy Hoaglin did the right thing and acted quickly pulling his girls off the court to protect them.
The Royals took a 9 point lead into the half and came out of the locker room on fire as they built up a quick 15 point lead and never looked back. Many fouls occurred which gave the Royals the advantage at the line as they had a high conversion rate.
“We’ve grown a lot this year as a team,” Senior Lexi Hannewald stated after the game. “We’ve really come together and this was a good win for us.”
The Royals are a very young team with 8 girls either freshman or sophomores. But they have played very well and have come together as a team as the year has gone on. They were led in scoring by Sanford who finished with 20 points on the night, McNeil with 15, Hannewald with 11, Paiton Hollowood with 5 including a big 3-point shot, and Stuckey with 4.
The Royals are back in action on Tuesday the 20th as they travel to St. Phillips.
