DEKALB — DeKalb’s smothering defense and fast break scoring were too much for the Rochelle Lady Hubs during Monday evening’s nonconference varsity basketball matchup.

The Barbs drained a pair of 3-pointers early in the first quarter, where DeKalb’s three-quarter court pressure forced several Rochelle turnovers that led to easy layups at the other end. The Lady Hubs were unable to recover, as DeKalb built a 20-8 lead after one quarter and cruised for a 66-29 win over Rochelle. Senior Kendyl Darby scored a team-high nine points for the Lady Hubs (3-2, 0-0 Interstate 8), who will host Rock Falls for a nonconference game on Thursday.

“We knew DeKalb was a good 4A basketball team that would bring relentless pressure,” head coach Jon Gehm said. “They came out and blitzed us pretty early. I thought we responded really early in the game, but they just wore us down. That’s a really good, physical basketball team and I’m not sure we’ll see the same kind of defensive pressure for the rest of the season.”

Senior Abby Metzger finished with six points, while juniors Carmela Bright and Jaydin Dickey each converted 3-point baskets in the second quarter, where DeKalb surged ahead 38-13 at halftime. While DeKalb cooled off from 3-point range as the game progressed, the Barbs smothered Rochelle with their defense, forcing turnovers and errant passes that led to extra possessions and transition points. The Barbs held a 57-24 lead entering the fourth quarter.

“We told the girls to flush it,” Gehm said. “We have two more games coming up this week.”

Junior Rose Luxton drilled a 3-pointer and senior Riley Doyle sank a short floater in the fourth quarter for the Lady Hubs, who opened their season with three wins at the Oregon Tipoff Tournament last week. Rochelle will travel to face Sycamore on Friday after hosting Rock Falls.