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Sluggish start sinks Salthawk girls

SLUGGISH START SINKS SALTHAWK GIRLS

For the first game of the season, with an almost-entirely new group, Hutchinson High girls coach Casey Stiggins couldn't be too upset. The Salthawks' effort was there throughout Tuesday at the Salthawk Activity Center. The execution, especially on offense, wasn't, however, during Hutchinson's 45-22 loss to Andover Central. There's nothing Stiggins or the Salthawks can do about that lack of experience. They graduated all five seniors from last year's 14-win team, and the only way they'll cut down on the mistakes they made against the Jaguars is by playing more. "I thought our effort was there for the most part," Stiggins said. "But when you have young guards like we do, that's what will happen. We had too many turnovers that led to easy baskets, and you can't do that, but they'll figure it out. It'll come with more experience." Only two of these Salthawks saw significant playing time last year, and one of them is the team's only senior - point guard Connor Atkinson, who played in spite of an ankle injury. "I think there were definitely some nerves," Atkinson said. "The talk with the girls before was about being nervous. It showed, but we'll improve." The Salthawks showed that after a rugged start. Andover Central led 17-6 after one quarter but the Salthawks were outscored just 28-16 the rest of the way. Most of that improvement was because Hutchinson did better taking care of the ball. The Salthawks cut down on the careless turnovers that led to several easy baskets for Andover Central. "I thought our defense in the half court was very good," Stiggins said. "It's the steals and layups that hurt us." The Quick Hit ANDOVER CENTRAL 45, HUTCHINSON 22 KEY STAT: The Salthawks committed 27 turnovers, 15, which came on Andover Central steals. Many of those steals led to easy baskets for the Jaguars. THE TURNING POINT: The Salthawks certainly weren't out of it after a tough first quarter. A Connor Atkinson bucket cut Andover Central's lead to 17-8 early in the second quarter, but the Jaguars answered with a 9-2 run, which gave them a 16-point cushion. PLAYER OF THE GAME: Andover Central junior guard Jewell Bolden. Ignore the fact that she had a game-high 12 points. If you're interested in improving your defense, watch Bolden. Bolden's footwork is impeccable. She's a great defender, and it has little to do with her hands. It's all about her footwork. SHE SAID IT: "I think we work well together, but we've got to make better passes, and we have to make better decisions quicker. We just haven't played together much." - senior point guard Connor Atkinson. UP NEXT: Hutchinson (0-1) will travel to Maize this Friday, while Andover Central (2-0) will take on cross-town rival Andover.

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