Free throws have been a problem in games and a point of emphasis in practices for the Eisenhower boys basketball team this season.

So a drill that requires each player to make six straight free throws — one for every basket in the Ike gym — before they can go home paid off against Southridge on Monday in the SunDome. The Cadets sank 18 in the fourth quarter to protect a 66-58 nonleague win against their former Big Nine rivals in the Tourneytown.com Shootout.

Eisenhower's Drew Harris drives past Southridge's Andrew Mendenhall, left, and R.J. Knight during the first half Monday.   SARA GETTYS/Yakima Herald-Republic View the Shootout photo galleries.

“We have to stay until we make six in a row, so there is a lot of pressure,” said Ike’s Drew Harris, who hit four free throws in the final frame to finish with 15 points. “It’s very similar to game pressure; there is a lot of pressure on you.”

Strong 3-point shooting and a boost from Taylor Elmo off the bench alleviated the need for too much perfection as the Cadets shot 71.4 percent (25 of 35) from the foul line for the game. Elmo had 17 of the squad’s 19 bench points on his way to the team-high.

An urge to prove a critic wrong and plenty of nice passes from Harris — he had seven assists — fueled Elmo. He hit 4 of 5 3-pointers to break open a game tied 15-15 at the end of the first quarter.

“At our last game against Richland, I heard their coach in my ear saying I couldn’t shoot,” Elmo said. “I wanted to prove I could shoot, and Drew kept passing me the ball.

“I felt really comfortable. I wasn’t really thinking about my shot.”

Great defense on top of the shooting provided that luxury of comfort to every player on the Ike bench. Five Cadets scored in the second quarter as their 2-3 zone held the Suns (10-3 overall) to only six points for a 29-21 halftime lead.

Poor foul shooting kept Southridge from getting back into the game. They were 5 of 14 from the line in the second half (25.7 percent) as their aggressive man-to-man defense sent a parade of Cadets to the stripe.

Not something Eisenhower coach Pat Fitterer is going to complain about when playing a former rival and the top team in the Columbia Basin 3A Division. He’ll take as many easy shots as possible against the stingy Sun defense.

“Southridge got more aggressive (in the second half) and put us at the line,” said Fitterer, whose team improves to 9-4 overall. “Against a team like Southridge, you take what they give you.”

Travis Mattair had a team-high 24 points for the Suns, and Kody Fullerton chipped in 12. The 6-foot-6 Jason Munns — a big reason Ike played zone — fouled out with 10 rebounds and was two points short of a double-double.

Matt Peterson, who was responsible for collapsing on Munns before he left the game with 4 minutes, 16 seconds remaining, had 15 points to round out the Cadets in double figures. Jordan Elmo, Taylor’s cousin, went 2 of 3 from 3-point range for nine points.

Munns exited after Southridge started the fourth quarter with a 5-1 run to pull within six, 47-41. The Suns never got any closer as Ike’s free throws got it vengeance against the squad that knocked it out of the postseason last season.

Harris’ layin with 1:04 remaining was the only Eisenhower field goal in the fourth.

Southridge went 2-1 against the Cadets last year on its way to a berth in the Class 4A state tournament. After splitting during the regular season, Ike lost 68-48 to the Suns in the regional tournament -- a fact many members of last year’s team were making their teammates aware of before the game.

“Everyone was pumped,” Harris said. “Besides Davis-Ike, this is almost as big a rivalry. Last year it was a battle every time we played.”

Sometimes free throws are the best ammunition.