Fatima overcame some early defensive hiccups to claim a 77-47 win over South Callaway at Friday’s homecoming contest.

Right out of the gate, the Comets won the tip and point guard Lee Verslues raced up the floor, lobbing the ball to find Brett Werner for an alley-oop slam dunk to get the full crowd into the game.

The pair connected again a few minutes later, and seemed to be firing on all cylinders. Verslues finished with 12 points and Werner posted 11.

However, after staking to an 18-8 lead midway through the first quarter, the Comets began to falter, and despite a lead to start the second, it wasn’t exactly going according to plan.

“We scored 25 points in a quarter and that should be a double-digit lead any given night but we allowed 22 points, and that’s just too many,” said Coach Ryan Robertson. “South Callaway shot the ball very well, and that’s part of it. We weren’t getting to shooters, and we didn’t play fundamentally sound defense.”

Robertson began making adjustments, swapping players out looking for the right mix. “We just wanted to make stops on defense,” he said. “That gave us odd line-ups but we made it work.”

The Comets defense was very solid in the second quarter, allowing only two points by the Bulldogs while tacking on 19 for a 44-24 halftime lead.

“Once we guard like that, we’re pretty tough,” said Robertson. “Coming out with the energy we had, and being so fired up, I think we kind of relaxed. We wanted the ball back and score again, which is not going to win you big games.”

In the third, the Comets kept up the pressure, outscoring SC 23-13.

“The first three minutes are important coming out of the half,” said Robertson. “We talked at the half about how we needed to keep playing up-tempo but smart, and we had to continue to play solid defense. I’m very proud of the effort.”

Fatima held a 65-37 lead at the start of the fourth, and Robertson said it was good to be able to play some of the younger bench  players.

“They deserve to get into this kind of game as hard as they work,” he said. “Any time you can get those guys out there in that environment, it makes the next time more comfortable.”

Homecoming was very special for Robertson. “We owe this win as much as anything as to our fans,” he said. “They had us fired up, even during the lag in the first quarter. That’s so valuable, and our fans here have been great for eternity. We always have students that take charge and be leaders in the stands.”

Nate Brandt went 5-8 from three-point range and 4-5 from the stripe on his way to a game-high 25 points, as Cole Lehmen added a pair of treys and 16 points. Leo Peters added six, Masan Stuecken (trey) finished with five points, as Nate Lehmen and Carter Karst each scored two.

Verslues led the Comets with six assists as Brandt and Werner each added four, and Peters and Stuecken posted two apiece.

On the boards, Lehmen’s nine rebounds carried the team, followed by Brandt (7), Peters (5), Verslues and Like Boyce (3 each), Werner, Stuecken and Cooper Kleffner (2 apiece) and N. Lehmen and Jon Dickneite (1 each).

Fatima’s defense counted a lot of steals, with Werner, Verslues, Stuecken and Brandt recording three apiece, and Boyce, C. Lehmen and Dickneite added one each. Verslues had the team’s lone block.

In the JV game, a storm raged outside, and late in the first quarter, a tornado watch was issued by the Osage County Emergency Operations Center, calling a halt to the contest.

“I was worried after the evacuation from tornado warning how we would come out and respond after sitting in locker room shelter for 15 to 20 minutes,” said Coach Jeff Adamson, whose fears were unfounded as the JV Comets won 68-40.

Dickneite led with 15 points, followed by N. Lehmen (11), Jack Robertson (10), and Kleffner and Blake Gentges (8 apiece).

“This was a big game on homecoming night,” said Adamson. “The kids kept their emotions in check and executed the defensive game plan well. For many of them it was the first time playing in front of a bigger crowd.”