The Pine Bush girls’ basketball team got off a comfortable lead to start the game, and then hung a goose egg on the Highland Huskies in the second quarter.

The Bushmen outscored the Huskies by 22 points in the second quarter on their way to a 70-27 win in the opening round of the Wallkill Holiday Tournament on Saturday at Wallkill High School.

“(It was all) our press,” Pine Bush’s Ketura Rutty said. “They weren’t able to get past it or anything. We got a lot of fast breaks off the press, so that was really helpful. It helped us get the lead early.”

The Bushmen took a 26-13 lead after the first quarter, and then shut the Huskies out in the second quarter and entered halftime with a 48-13 lead.

“You don’t see that a lot,” Rutty said. “I’m just proud of my team. They communicate well. We pass the ball well, and we make sure we held them good and defense. That’s what kept them zero in the second quarter.”

Rutty generated nearly half of the Bushmen’s offense, scoring a game-high 31 points. Jah-esa Stokes added 18 points. Leticia Watson scored 10 points.

“(Rutty) has that confidence now,” Pine bush coach Michelle Bouffard said. “She could’ve (scored 31 points last year). Jah-esa is now more vocal. She’s a true leader on the court. And there’s Leticia Watson, who is like the glue. That kid does everything right. She might not be the top scorer, but she’s got a wonderful shot, but she’s a defensive freak. She’s got long arms and she’s getting steals.”

The Bushmen will face the Wallkill Panthers on December 30 in the tournament championship game, while the Highland Huskies will face the Valley Central Vikings in the consolation game.

Grace Koehler scored 16 of the Huskies’ 16 points.

“We’re a whole different team this year,” Rutty said. “We communicate better on the court. We move the ball better on the court. We’re faster and we made sure we practice hard during practice, so we can get it right during the game. The way you practice is the way you play in the game. So, we make sure we do that.”