The strategy worked for the first half Friday in a packed Ottawa High School gym. The Cyclone boys went to a trapping defense to speed up the tempo in the third quarter.
Ottawa turned turnovers into easy baskets en route to a 70-27 victory over the Cardinals.
Ottawa coach Jon McKowen said he went to the trap to pick up the pace of the game.
“They wanted to play offense for 45 seconds [in the first half],” McKowen said. “They had a good game plan.”
Eudora stayed in the game as Ottawa led 29-14 at halftime. Ottawa found some offensive rhythm and doubled its output in the third quarter alone. Ottawa scored 28 points in the third quarter to gain a 57-21 advantage.
“Alex [Hasty] did a great job at the top of it,” McKowen said. “He has played a lot of basketball. He understood how they wanted to play offensively.”
Ottawa never got to run, but still put up 70 points on the board.
He opened the fourth with a quick bucket and trey as Ottawa opened a 64-23 lead and ended the starters’ night.
The first half was a struggle offensively. Ottawa had just 17 field goal attempts.
McKowen said Ottawa felt frustrated and put up quick shots.
“We were tying to hit eight-pointers instead of two-pointers,” McKowen said.
“We have not done a great job of putting four quarters together. We have to figure out a way to play 32 minutes.
“We have things to work on.”
McKowen said the first half was sluggish.
“We have had a few practices like that,” he said.
Ottawa (10-0, 5-0) plays 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the first round of the Basehor-Linwood Invitational against Platte County.
Eudora (27) — Ballock 12, Hadl 7, Snow 4, Byrne 2, Katzenmeier 2.
Ottawa (70) — Ojeleye 40, Hasty 7, Peters 5, Shaffer 5, Natt 2, Boeh 8, A. Blaue 2, Graf 1.