The second-seeded Harrisburg girls made easy work of nearby rival and seventh-seeded Hallsville in the first round of their tournament on Monday evening. The Lady Bulldogs used a full-court press and half-court trap to fluster and smother their opponent, racing out a quick 8-2 lead. They never looked back as they won the contest 61-17 to advance to the championship side of the bracket.

“I was proud of how our kids played tonight,” said Harrisburg coach Jaryt Hunziker. “We emphasize moving the ball, going high-low and inside-outside against zones. We hit the high post and short corner, which really opened up some good looks for us.”

Junior Lorelai Hunziker paced Harrisburg with 23 points, including four 3-pointers. Senior Avelina McKinzie added 14 points.

“No matter the score, we want to remain aggressive, and our girls did a good job of playing hard the entire game,” Coach Hunziker said. “Now we can get ready for our second-round game.”

Harrisburg, now 14-2 overall, will face third-seeded Linn tonight (Wednesday) at 7:30 in the high school gym. The winner will advance to the championship game at 6 p.m. on Saturday.