Kelly’s fast-break fury leads to 51-point rout of Delta

BENTON, Mo. — Chaos reigned as Kelly unleashed a suffocating press and relentless transition game, overwhelming Delta 98-47 on Friday, Jan. 19.

Fueled by steals and defensive dominance, the Hawks (13-3) turned up the intensity and carved through the Bobcats’ (5-9) defense, converting takeaways in east fast-break layups over and over again.

Kelly's Jacob Latham (33) goes for a layup during a 98-47 win over Delta on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

We put a lot of pressure on their guards by pressing them hard,” said Kelly coach Noel Trimmer. “I knew we would control boards, so as soon as we made a steal or forced them to take a bad shot, we were releasing two guys up each side of the court and we got a lot of layups.”

The effectiveness of Kelly's defensive scheme was evident from the get-go. A relentless press and dominant rebounding led to a rapid scoring outburst, with the Hawks building a commanding 30-point lead by halftime, 59-29.

Kelly's Reece Eftink (25) scores during a 98-47 win over Delta on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Trimmer acknowledged defensive flaws exposed in the previous loss to Woodland, citing "too many open drives through the middle" due to ineffective pick-and-roll defense. To plug the gap, they switched to a "box-and-one" with a "22 trap" against Delta. While this aggressive scheme shut down the Wildcats, the coach stressed their core man-to-man defense needs serious work. Monday's practice will focus on "hedging" - temporarily double-teaming the ball handler and screener - to stop similar breakdowns in the future.

Ross Peters paces Kelly with a 31-point explosion.

“He could have very easily had 40-plus points out here tonight,” Trimmer said. “Peters gave up a lot of layup opportunities so he could get his teammates involved and they could score.”

Kelly's Gavin Dugan (43) drives during a 98-47 win over Delta on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Dalton Forck notches a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds, controlling the paint.

He even added a new wrinkle to his game, erupting for three thunderous dunks that had fans and teammates roaring with excitement. It was the first time Forck had thrown one down in a game, cementing a night he won't soon forget.

“He’s coming alive and peaking at the right time,” Trimmer said.

Kelly's Skyler Still (3) shoots during a 98-47 win over Delta on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Eftink also had a double-double with his versatility shining through, tallying 16 points and 11 rebounds despite a demanding college football workout at McKendree University earlier in the day.

“He’s a flat-out gamer and brings it every single night,” Trimmer said. “He coming in without any practice, and yet he’s had back-to-back games where he has been flawless in handling the ball, scored at a great clip and hasn’t missed a beat.”

Kelly's Truman White (10) goes for layup during a 98-47 win over Delta on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

The Hawks’ final standout was Michael Dollins, who orchestrated the attack with 12 points and 17 assists.

“He handles the ball well for us and is our team leader,” Trimmer said. “He's a natural playmaker, always looking to set up his teammates for easy buckets.

“It was an explosive game,” Trimmer continued. “There is not a whole lot of complaining you can do when you score the amount of points we did tonight.”

Delta hosts Saxony Lutheran (10-6) on Monday, Jan. 22, while Kelly will host the Crusaders on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

__KELLY 98, DELTA 47__

Delta 15 14 12 6 — 47

Kelly 27 32 29 10 — 98

Delta (47) — Ryan Jeffries 14, Bryce Cox 10, Paxton Hornbuckle 8, Casey Crowden 7, Rylin Huffman 4, Cohen Palmer 2, Coleton Deckard 2. FG: 20. FT: 7-12. F: 9. (3-pointers: None. Fouled out: None).

Kelly (98) — Ross Peters 31, Dalton Forck 23, Reece Eftink 16, Michael Dollins 12, Skyler Still 4, Gavin Dugan 4, Cannon Kirkpatrick 2, Mason Propst 2, Hunter Kirk 2, Truman White 2. FG: 46. FT: 3-9. F: 15. (3-pointers: Peters 3. Fouled out: None).