HUMBOLDT — The Humboldt Cubs bounced back from a loss to take a 69-58 win over the Neodesha Bluestreaks here Tuesday.
The Cubs opened the contest on a 17-4 run. The offense seemed to finally hear what head coach David Taylor has been preaching all season; play in the system and everyone will find high-impact opportunities.
“As long as we keep doing what we’re supposed to do, our style of play, we will be successful. We’ll be in every game,” Taylor said.
Humboldt hit a lull heading into halftime, but senior Tre Franklin managed to reignite the squad in the third quarter. He was all over the place with steals, assists, and even a buzzer-beater 3-pointer that had the Humboldt Community Fieldhouse on its feet.
“He gets his motor running, and he’s got great hands. And when he breaks down a defense off the dribble, it opens up a lot of avenues for everybody else,” Taylor said of Franklin.
Franklin finished with 14 points, five rebounds, four steals, and three assists. This seems to be the routine for Franklin against Neodesha, as he posted his season-high of 20 points in the previous matchup.
The fourth quarter saw an ignition from the Bluestreaks, but the Cubs managed to hold it off with a slew of buckets themselves. The two teams combined for 51 points in the quarter.
“We were hitting some shots and staying within what we were wanting to do, so I’m happy for the boys,” Taylor said.
Senior Blake Ellis led the final frame charge, finishing with 19 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
“The thing that I was impressed with Blake was how he played big for us on defense. We used him to play big (because of injury) and I have a lot more comfort now in knowing that we can use him there. He jumps well and he’s strong, so hopefully we can keep that going,” Taylor said.
With senior Asher Hart sidelined due to a hand injury, sophomore Thatcher Mueller and freshman Ty Shaughnessy were also asked to play more impactful minutes in the game.
“They did some good things. They’re going to have to pay a little bit more attention in practice so they can get up to speed in a short amount of time,” Taylor said.
During last week’s matchup with Caney Valley, senior Colden Cook crossed 1,000 career points.
“I mean, it’s awesome. When I was a sophomore, Trey Sommer did it, and I thought that was awesome, and I wanted to do it, too,” Cook said after Tuesday’s game. “It’s a pretty cool career goal to obtain, but I still would like a state championship. That would really end my high school career perfectly.”
Cook became just the eighth Cub to cross the 1,000-point mark. With his 21 points scored Tuesday, Cook now sits as the seventh all-time scorer in school history, just 28 points behind 2017 graduate Rayce Hoepker.
“I’m happy for him, and that’s a pretty good accomplishment,” Taylor said. “But he’s such a nice kid, so it couldn’t happen to a better kid.”
Up next
Humboldt (14-3, 2-1 TVL) hosts the Cherryvale Chargers (3-12, 1-2 TVL) for a homecoming matchup tonight. The Cubs defeated the Chargers, 52-12, on Jan. 17.
