Kind scores 30 as Rocket girls torch Colby to go to 7-1 in ECC

By the time the Colby girls basketball team scored its first points in its Jan. 6 Eastern Cloverbelt Conference game at Spencer, Rocket Heavyn Kind already had 13 points. It was that kind of night for the senior guard. Kind scored 15 of Spencer’s first 17 points on her way to a 30-point night as the Rockets stayed within a halfgame of Neillsville for the top spot in the ECC girls standings. Spencer built a lead of 15-0 in the game’s first nine minutes and held the Hornets to single-digit offensive output in the first half. The Rockets led 23-9 at the break and Colby never got closer than 10 points the rest of the night.

Kind’s offensive outburst included four 3-pointers, including a pair in the game’s opening 15-point run. She was 8-15 at the free-throw line and the Rockets hit 17 of 32 attempts as a team.

Madison Knecht and Claudia Krause each added six points for Spencer.

Alexis Vanderhoof led Colby with 10 points and Brett Schmitt scored nine.

Colby was able to whittle away some of the Spencer lead early in the second half as Schmitt popped a 3-pointer from the corner to cut the lead to 23-13. Spencer built the lead back quickly as Jorie Meyer finished a break-out with a lay-up and Kind rattled home another 3-pointer with 15:11 left in the game for a 28-14 lead. Kind had a pair of steals off Rocket pressure defense and converted them both into points, and Rebecca Mlsna and Knecht each added a steal-and-score. Amber Becker’s two free throws made it a 38-14 game with 11:43 to play.

Spencer will host winless Granton on Jan. 14 as it looks to stay close to Neillsville. The Rockets then have a nonconference game against Abbotsford on Jan. 17 and will be back in conference play on Jan. 20 at Marshfield Columbus. Spencer beat the third-place Dons 44-35 on Dec. 2. It lost to Neillsville 44-22 on Dec. 21, and the rematch with the Warriors is scheduled for Feb. 3 on the Rockets’ home floor.

DEAN LESAR/STAFF PHOTO