Macomb High girls basketball coach Justin Elbe often states that his team will hang its collective hat on its defense.
Monday’s 46-23 win over Bushnell-Prairie City at Bushnell showed good reason why.
Coming off hard-fought games Saturday, the two teams started the new week squaring off in a Prairieland Conference South Division battle.
Despite missing senior point guard Sophie Wilson, the Bomber defense had the situation well in-hand, holding the Spartans to just two field goals in the opening 16 minutes.
“Everybody contributed offensively and defensively,” said Elbe. “We did a lot of good things.”
It was that defense that sparked the Bombers early on as senior Jordan Hines and junior Aubrey Holthaus combined for all 10 Macomb points in the initial eight minutes.
B-PC’s five points all came from junior Justice Klinedinst.
The second quarter saw the Bomber bench come into play.
“Our starting five didn’t have the best energy coming out,” said Elbe. “But we didn’t have Sophie.”
But sophomore Brooklyn Lyles started the period with a pair of buckets, including a 3-pointer. She finished with seven points in the quarter, while freshmen Grace O’Hern and Taylor Mann combined for five points.
Meanwhile B-PC managed just two points in the quarter, those points coming on a pair of free throws from sophomore Mylee Chenoweth as Macomb took a 24-7 lead into halftime.
The Bombers put together their best offensive frame of the night in the third period as Holthaus and Hines combined for 11 points, including 5-of-6 from the free throw line.
Meanwhile freshman Drew Watson added a pair of baskets, including a trey, that helped up theMacomb lead to 42-14 entering the final eight minutes.
Holthaus topped MHS with 12 points, six in each half.
Hines added 11 points, followed by Lyles with seven.
Watson also finished with seven points. O’Hern added three points, her first varsity points, while Shoopman, Mann and Olyvia Clark chipped in two points apiece. For Clark, it was also her first varsity points.
“It’s a road win and we’re going to celebrate those every chance we get,” said Elbe.
Klinedinst topped B-PC with eight points, while junior Jules Kreps added seven points, all in the second half.
Kendyl McCleery scored six points in the second half, while Chenoweth’s two free throws closed out the Spartan scoring.
Macomb improved to 6-3 overall, 1-1 in Prairieland Conference South Division contests.
B-PC slipped to 1-4 overall, 0-1 in Prairieland South play.
In JV competition, the two teams played just one half using a 20-minute running clock.
Macomb finished with a 31-5 lead as time expired.
Lyles topped Macomb with eight points.
Clark and O’Hern added six points apiece, followed by Ella McKee with four points.
Carmellya Jones chipped in a three-pointer, while Mann, and Kinley Sloan tallied two points each.
McCleery and Lilly Griffitts each had two points for B-PC, while Scarlett Countryman added a free throw for one point.
Macomb and B-PC returned to action Thursday with the Bombers hosting Rushville-Industry, while the Spartans headed to Elmwood.
The Bomber varsity will head to Abingdon on Saturday to face Riverdale at the Great Western Shootout.
On Dec. 15, the Bombers will host Sherrard, while the Spartans return to Prairieland Conference South Division play, hosting Illini West.
