Klipfel leads Kelly past Charleston in Senior Night blowout

BENTON, Mo. — The red leisure suits, the trophies, the hardwood heroes of Kelly girls’ basketball—Monday, Feb. 3, was all about history, and Paige Klipfel made sure her name became part of it.

The senior sniper tied a program record with eight 3-pointers, powering the Lady Hawks (8-10, 3-1 Scott-Mississippi) to a 72-33 rout of the Charleston Lady Blue Jays (3-13, 1-5 Scott-Mississippi), capping off a night that honored the past with a performance fit for the future.

“That’s just something we see from [Klipfel] every day,” said Kelly coach Matthew Blissett. “She’s confident, has stuck with this program and never said a word about playing time. She’s put in the work and deserves a night like this.”

Adding another layer of significance to the evening, it was also Senior Night for Kelly, which opened the game with back-to-back baskets from Gwen Essner and Cecily Hall.

Charleston answered with Holly Hayes knocking down a floater before sinking a pair of free throws to tie it at 4-4.

Kaylee Still put Kelly back in front with one of the most skillful finishes of the night, attacking the basket and adjusting in mid-air to switch hands for a smooth conversion. Still’s control and touch in traffic showcased her ability to read the defense and adjust on the fly.

Rylee Burns closed the first quarter on a personal scoring surge, converting three straight baskets to give the Lady Hawks a 13-9 advantage.

That momentum carried over into the second quarter as Kelly erupted for a 16-0 run to widen the gap to 20 points The surge was sparked by a traditional 3-point play from Blaire Riley and multiple deep shots from Klipfel, who finished with a game-high 26 points.

“With everything happening tonight, I just fed off the energy,” Klipfel said. “Also, with it being senior night, I just wanted to go out here and get a big win. I’m lucky to have amazing teammates who make great passes.”

Charleston struggled to find an answer in the second quarter, going nearly the entire frame without a bucket.

Gabby White finally ended the drought with a 3-pointer in the final minute before halftime, but by then, Kelly had already taken full control. The Lady Hawks entered the break with a commanding 32-14 advantage, fueled by relentless defensive pressure.

“It was just our defensive mentality,” Blissett said. “I told them we had to pick it up on defense and that’s where a lot of our points came from.”

Despite a strong push from Hayes, who finished as Charleston’s top scorer with 21, the Lady Blue Jays couldn’t mount a sustained comeback and the Lady Hawks’ defense never gave much room to breathe, consistently forcing turnovers and capitalizing on the fast break.

Burns added 19 points, continuing her strong play and giving the team a consistent scoring threat alongside Klipfel.

“Celebrating Senior Night and the 50th anniversary of the program really set the tone for us tonight,” Essner said. “We wanted to come out strong and have a great game. We didn’t start as sharp as we’d hoped—there were a few nerves—but once we settled in, everything started clicking. Klipfel was hitting her shots, and we were able to get a lot of fast-break opportunities. As the game went on, we did exactly what we set out to do.”

Kelly extended its winning streak in the series to four, a notable achievement considering that the matchup between these two schools has been a balanced one over the years.

Since 2008, the Lady Hawks and Lady Blue Jays have been deadlocked at 16-16 in head-to-head meetings.

Kelly now sets its sights on a difficult road contest at Class 2, No. 9 Chaffee (12-4, 2-1 Scott-Mississippi), while Charleston will travel to Ballard Memorial, Kentucky (3-11) on Thursday, Feb. 6.

“We just have to keep hitting practice and games hard,” Burns concluded.

KELLY 72, CHARLESTON 33

Charleston 9 5 9 10 — 33

Kelly 13 19 24 16 — 72

Charleston (33) — Holly Haynes 21, Gabby White 7, Da’Kira King 3, Ja’Miya Hedge 2. FG: 9. FT: 13-25. F: 15. (3-pointers: King 1, White 1. Fouled out: None.)

Kelly (72) — Paige Klipfel 26, Rylee Burns 19, Gwen Essner 8, Blaire Riley 5, Peyton Ratley 4, Cecily Hall 4, Lettie Glenn 4, Kaylee Still 2. FG: 28. FT: 6-14. F: 24. (3-pointers: Klipfel 8, Essner 2. Fouled out: Riley.)