BANCROFT - Both the North Gem and Sho-Ban girls' basketball teams opened their game Thursday with full-court pressure defense.

The strategy worked much better for the Cowboys, though, in their 70-38 win.

"The bottom line," said North Gem coach Corry Hatch, "is we're faster, and we put the ball in the hole."

The Cowboys built a 43-26 halftime lead and then buried the Chiefs in the third quarter by outscoring them 19-4 in the frame.

Three North Gem players scored in double figures, with Kirsti Christensen leading the way with 19 points. Aspen Holbrook added 16, while Natalie Simons pitched in with 11.

"We had a talk before the game that there are certain players who aren't responsible for scoring all our points," Hatch said. "It was nice to see other people step up and score a little."

The Cowboys are now 8-5 on the season, and they'll face a difficult test Saturday when No. 1-ranked Richfield comes to town for a 4:30 p.m. tilt.