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HURST -- Hurst L.D. Bell has used its defense to jump to a solid start to the season, and that full-court, in-your-face pressure didn't subside Tuesday night. The Lady Raiders forced Keller into 33 turnovers as they moved to 12-2 on the season with a 53-31 victory.
"We're going to use multiple presses to press you and make you run the floor," Bell coach Brock Pembleton said. "We have a lot of depth, so we want to keep putting pressure on the other team. We're small and don't have the size to guard the big ones, so were going to try and outrun you."
They did just that to Keller, limiting the Indians to just 14 shots in the first half, including five in the first quarter.
During that eight-minute stretch, the Blue Raiders forced the Lady Indians to turn the ball over 14 times, including two spurts of six in a row as they used runs of 7-0 and 11-0 to withstand a 6-0 Keller run in the middle.
Forcing Keller (7-7) to turn the ball over the first six times they had the ball, Bell scored the first seven points less than 90 seconds into the game.
Sheridan Pilcher scored to start the game, and Cierra Johnson, who finished with a game-high 15 points, scored the next five points, including a 3-pointer. Keller pulled to within 7-6 behind two points apiece from Erica Pierce, Rani Parkinson, and Alli Gribbin.
Bell closed the quarter on 11-0 run to take a 21-8 lead. During the run Leah Taylor had five points, and Tori Carter, Johnson and Channing Taylor each had two points.
"We've got some girls who can shoot he ball from the outside, and its seems like its been someone different stepping up all year," Pembleton said of his team, which returns eight players from last season, when Bell made its first postseason trip since 2006. "I thought we had a shot to be good. The only concern was a lack of size."
Lexi Burns, who led Keller with 10 points, made two free throws with 10 seconds left in the first half to make it 30-21, but the Lady Indians would get no closer.
Keller outscored the Lady Raiders 13-9 in the second quarter, committing only one turnover.
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