Because of their starts, the Helias Lady Crusaders had no chance at the finish.
The Lady Crusaders struggled at the start of every quarter Thursday night, which was especially troublesome against the Hickman Kewpies, ranked fourth in the state in Class 5. The end result was a 66-29 loss at Rackers Fieldhouse.
The quarter-by-quarter starts for Helias were:
• 0-of-9 from the field with two turnovers in the first period.
• 1-of-4 with five turnovers in the second.
• 0-of-3 with five turnovers in the third.
• 1-of-6 with one turnover in the fourth.
Perhaps the most costly struggles were the ones in the third, as a 33-15 halftime edge for the Kewpies went to 46-15 in less than three minutes.
"They just came out and the next thing you know, boom," Helias coach Doug Light said. "(The starts) were all huge, but especially the one to start the second half. I thought we were battling and competing before that."
That 13-0 run to start the second half was part of a 16-0 burst that started at the end of the first half. After Mai Nienhueser pulled the Lady Crusaders to within 30-15 with a layup with :04 left before intermission, it appeared Helias would go into the locker room within striking distance.
But that was more than enough time for Hickman's Jordan Matthews. The senior guard took the ball up the court and just past halfcourt, launched a 3-pointer that drew nothing but net as the buzzer sounded.
Not that the Kewpies needed a momentum boost at that point, but they had one.
"You look at the clock running down and you say, "Well, they're not going to score,'" Light said. "Then, bam! As soon as she released it, I said, "That's in.'"
The Kewpies, who started the game with a 10-0 run and led 17-5 after one quarter, took that 33-15 lead into the locker room.
Then came that impressive streak to start the third, which included turning over the Lady Crusaders on their first five trips down the floor.
"They're an awfully good team, and we knew that going in," Light said.
The lead grew to as many as 34 points in the third before Hickman took a 51-24 lead into the fourth.
The Kewpies pushed the lead to as many as 39 points in the final period.
"They keep getting these runs on you and that's what they're good at," Light said. "They don't score, don't score and then all of a sudden, they just put some quick baskets together."
Hickman's Emily Miller almost outscored Helias by herself, as she pumped in a game-high 26 points.
"Emily Miller is just lights-out," Light said. "She is so good."
Kendahl Adams chipped in with 15 points for the Kewpies (20-1), while Matthews finished with 12.
"They have so many kids that can shoot," Light said. "There are some teams you play and it's like, "You don't have to worry about that kid.' Not with them."
Nienhueser was the only player for Helias (12-9) to reach double figures, as she had 13 points.
The Lady Crusaders return to action Monday at Father Tolton.