There is a routine to the high school basketball season: Go to school during the day, be ready to play a game at night.

During the holiday break, however, getting back into that rhythm can be difficult, especially when trying to get up for a nonconference game in the middle of the week.

“It's kind of tough because I'm sure a lot of us didn't do much (Tuesday), especially the seniors who don't have finals,” said Genoa-Kingston point guard Julie Galauner. “We've been off for two weeks, so we really haven't been in a routine.”

It took until late in the third quarter before the Cogs got themselves straightened out against Hinckley-Big Rock.

A 3-pointer and a driving layup from senior guard Jesi Nay gave the Cogs the lead late in the third quarter in Hinckley. Galauner, a senior, scored seven of their first nine points in the fourth quarter as the Cogs survived 52-45.

Genoa-Kingston (12-2) goes into a two-week hiatus riding a nine-game winning streak.

“We've just got to come out strong,” Galauner said. “I think we came out a little lazy, not very intense. We just have to get after it. We were a little more energized (in the second half), picked it up on defense, too. We just have to do that right from the start.”

Hinckley-Big Rock (4-9) seemingly had an answer for the Cogs the whole first half. Galauner scored 10 of her game-high 24 points in the second quarter, yet the Royals took a 27-26 lead into the half. They then scored the first two baskets of the third quarter to push their lead to five.

“In the first half, we didn't have any ball pressure up top and that enabled them to make crisp passes,” G-K coach Kyle Henkel said. “We wanted them to throw over or under us and they were throwing it right through us. We were just chasing the ball in the first half. We pressured the ball (in the second half) and that gives other people in the zone more time to react when the ball is in the air longer.”

G-K forced 14 second-half turnovers. Galauner and Nay combined for 41 points.

The Cogs' winning streak has the area's attention, but Henkel knows that maintaining that after the New Year will be challenging.

“I'm not thrilled with the way we played (Tuesday), but it seems like we've done this the whole first semester, get it done somehow,” Henkel said. “Hopefully we can learn from mistakes in wins and not in losses. Our schedule in the second half of the year is much harder than in the first half.”

Paul Johnson is a freelance writer for The Courier-News.