Up just two points at halftime Monday, the La Salle-Peru girls basketball team attacked Hall outside and inside in the third quarter.

L-P’s Emma Jereb and Alexus Hines hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the second half, then the Cavaliers fed Brie Ruppert in the paint as they pulled away for a 43-24 nonconference victory in La Salle.

“I thought we played a lot better than we have the past couple of weeks,” Ruppert said. “We all came together. Even with some double teams in the game, we managed to make it work and find open shots.”

The Cavaliers led 11-10 after the first quarter and 17-15 at halftime before taking control in the third.

On the first possession of the second half, Hines drove into the lane then kicked out to Jereb for a 3-pointer. Hines buried a shot from behind the arc on the next trip down the court to make it 23-15.

Ruppert scored L-P’s final seven points of the quarter, including a three-point play with 42.6 seconds left that put the Cavs up 30-15.

“We had the height advantage, for sure,” L-P coach Adam Spencer said. “It helped that we made two 3s to start the second half.

“If you don’t make any 3s, they can double the post. If you make a couple, everybody has to extend out. It helps Brie take advantage inside.”

Hall coach TJ Orlandi said the Red Devils struggled against L-P’s size. The Cavs’ starting lineup include Ruppert (6-foot), Drew Depenbrock (5-10), Maggie Boudreau (5-10) and Hines (5-8).

“We played all right to start,” Orlandi said. “We hung with them. We were giving up a lot of size, so I think that just kind of wore us down in the second half a little bit. Ruppert had 19, and she’s got about 5 inches on our tallest girl, so it’s tough in there.

“I wasn’t upset with the way we played defensively. I thought we played hard. We were pretty active. We got beat down inside a little bit, and then they had some girls hit a few 3s in the second half, and that opens things up because you have to get out and defend it and then you leave some of the middle open.”

The Cavs took advantage with some solid ball movement. Boudreau had three assists in the second half, including two down low to Ruppert. Jereb also had three assists, and Ruppert finished with two assists.

“We’ve been working a lot on passing and making that look sharper,” Ruppert said. “I think that really translated to this game.”

While the Cavs got their offense going in the third quarter, Hall was held scoreless until Ava Delphi drained a 3 with 2.5 seconds left in the quarter.

“I thought we figured out some defensive stuff in the second half with the rotation, to switch, to not leave the shooter,” Spencer said. “We were chasing too much in the first half.”

For the Red Devils, it was their second consecutive game scoring in the 20s and fifth this season.

“They were defending us pretty well, and they were cutting off a lot of inside stuff that we could do,” Orlandi said. “It’s hard for us to get in the post when we’re giving up so much size. I thought Caroline (Morris) did a pretty good job. She had a couple nice moves that she just missed the shot, and I thought a couple she maybe could have went to the line, but she didn’t.

“We couldn’t get anything from outside either. We’ve been struggling to make shots, and it came up again in the third quarter. We had to hit a couple from outside to try to open things up a little bit.

“We’re in a rut right now, and you just hope you can shoot your way out of it.”

Ruppert finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, Depenbrock scored 10 points, and Jereb and Hines had five points each for L-P (8-9).

Charlie Pellegrini led Hall (8-10) with nine points, while Morris added eight.

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L-P's Brianna Ruppert eyes the hoop as Hall's Caroline Morris defends on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026 in Sellett Gymnasium at L-P High School. (Scott Anderson)