The Kaiser sisters — Madison and Riley — combined for 39 points to carry visiting Floyd Central past Providence, 55-43, Thursday night.
With the score tied at 19 at the half, the Highlanders (7-9) went into a 1-3-1 half-court zone, trapped out of it and gained eight turnovers in the third quarter.
“That was the difference — the turnovers,” said Providence coach Brad Burden. “We’re a young team. Everybody knows that, and we’re going to show our youth at times. But we certainly like what we’ve got to work with.”
Floyd Central started the third quarter with a 11-2 run and pushed out to a 30-21 lead with 3:14 left when Madison Kaiser snatched a steal and went to the other end of the floor for a layup.
“I thought the 1-3-1 really changed the game,” said Floyd Central coach Kirk Hamsley. “They struggled (against it) and we got some easy baskets.”
With the Highlanders leading 34-26, Madison Kaiser started her own personal tear, scoring Floyd Central’s next 14 points.
She scored 18 of her game-high 20 points in the second half. Riley Kaiser scored 11 of her 19 points in the first half, keeping the Highlanders close. “If we had a few more Kaisers, we’d be great,” Hamsley said.
“I was trying to keep a positive attitude and make up for the first half,” said Madison Kaiser, who also had eight steals. “On offense, we settled down a little bit and stopped taking quick shots. That really helped our team.”
At the half, Hamsley said, he told Madison Kaiser to take the ball to the basket.
“We were impatient,” Hamsley said of the first half.
Madison Kaiser said the Highlanders are ready to turn the corner. “We’ve picking it up now,” she said. “We know what we have to do.”
Claire Rauck, a freshman, led the Pioneers (12-7) with 17 points, including three from beyond the 3-point arc.
“They’re got so many weapons,” Burden said of Floyd Central. “They’re a lot better than their record because they’ve played such a tough schedule.”
Hamsley complimented the Pioneers. “They’ve got a good team,” he said. “They play hard and they’ll do well in the future.”
