Eight games into the season, the No. 1 priority for the Warrenton girls basketball team has been simple: find a complement to junior forward Jenny Jansen.

Jansen leads the Warriors with 19.2 points, and is always a threat to take over a game.

Finding a consistent second or third option, however, hasn’t always been easy for Head Coach Greg Williams.

That wasn’t the case Monday in the first round of the Warrenton Winter Classic. 

Junior guard Kaylee Anderson and sophomore center Kayla Nelson combined for 28 points in a 86-58 win over Hannibal.

Jansen led the way with 23.

“We just call that, ‘a Jenny,’ ” Williams said. “That’s a classic Jenny right there.”

Anderson surprised fans with four 3-pointers in the first quarter to help give Warrenton a 25-12 lead.

She surprised the Hannibal coaching staff, as well.

“I heard them yell, ‘No threat,’ so I just shot it,” Anderson said. “That’s what helped me tonight. It just helped me focus more.”

Anderson finished with 17 points.

Warrenton (7-1) struggled at times with the Hannibal press, and gave up a handful of offensive rebounds in the first half.

Williams saw plenty of things to work on, but he couldn’t deny his team’s impressive showing offensively.

“We had a little funk going there during break,” he said. “But we’re back.”

Williams has stressed the need to develop his bench while the team prepares for a run in the postseason.

Many times, his focus has been on Nelson, a legitimate post presence for the Warriors.

“I know I’m way better than last year, and I’m really happy it’s showing these last few games,” she said. “I’ve stressed getting low and going through people to get to the rim.”

Nelson finished with 11 points against Hannibal, and has scored in double figures in two of her last three games.

“We’ve been on Kayla’s case, so it’s nice to see her making shots and finishing,” Williams said. “If she continues to step it up, big things are in store for us. The more she wants it, the more she’s going to get it.”

Warrenton advanced to play No. 3 seed Francis Howell Central Wednesday.

The championship is scheduled for Friday at 8:30 p.m.

With a potential 2015 Classic championship rematch with No. 1 seed Duchesne still in play, Williams’ focus is simple.

“Winning,” he said. “We need to clean up the game a little bit and get organized. But you saw some girls step up that hadn’t put a lot of points on the board, and that was good to see because we’re going to need that later.”

Kayla Nelson prepares to go up for two of her 11 points Monday night. Nelson helped lead Warrenton to an 86-58 win over Hannibal.        Kory Carpenter photo.