Girls Earn Road Victories Over Wallace County
The Lady Indians earned a sweep over the home-standing Wallace County Lady Wildcats on Tuesday evening, February 20. The junior varsity team opened the evening with a two-quarter contest defeating the Lady Wildcats 31-10. The varsity Lady Indians led 21-20 at halftime, but widened the margin in the second half to earn a 61-47 victory. The evening completed the regular season for the Lady Indians. The junior varsity Lady Indians completed their season with a record of 11 wins and 1 loss. The varsity Lady Indians tallied a 14-6 regular season record (the best record since 1999) and will now advance to Sub-State play.
In junior varsity action, St. Francis earned a 3-0 lead on an out-of-bounds play score by Emma Johnson. After a post score by Wallace County (WC) freshman Jessie Carmen, Hanna Zimbal added one-of-two free-throws. A free-throw and a steal-two by Johnson moved the margin to 7-2. After a WC free-throw, Johnson's assist set up a fast-break basket by Jylian Laten. WC freshman Tori Springsteel answered with a steal-two, but Johnson followed with a left-wing trey moving the scoreboard to 12-5. Zimbal added a free-throw, and Johnson scored a transition-trey on an assist from Lindsey Johnson in the closing moments. St. Francis led 18-5 after one period of play.
Alondra Gomez scored from the post on an assist from Hanna Zimbal to open the second period. After a driving score by Springsteel, St. Francis called time-out leading 20-7. After returning to the floor, the Lady Indians earned a press-offense basket by Gomez and a steal-two by Emma Johnson. Mid-way through the quarter, an offensive rebound and assist by Jylian Laten led to a left-wing score by Johnson. The next offensive rebound and assist by Laten set up a score by Gomez. The Lady Indians now led by 21 (28-7). Sophomore Leah Ayers scored on a break (and one) for the Lady Wildcats. Karly Bandel added the final three points of the contest, sinking one-of-two and earning a lay-up on a steal and assist by Johnson. St. Francis won the junior varsity contest 31-10.
Scoring for the Lady Indians in the JV game were Emma Johnson 15, Hanna Zimbal 7, Alondra Gomez 6, and Karly Bandel 3. Wallace County was led by Tori Springsteel with 4 points. St. Francis recorded 7 fouls, 9 turnovers, and made 5 of 10 from the line. Wallace County recorded 8 fouls, 6 turnovers, and made 2 of 4 from the stripe.
St. Francis got off to a bit of a slow start against the Lady Wildcats in the varsity contest. The Lady Indians earned numerous good looks at the goal, but shot poorly in the first half. Wallace County sophomore Lakin Perry scored the first goal of the contest netting a trey from the right-wing early in the contest. Hanna Bracelin answered with an and-one from the post. Bracelin's next post score gave the Lady Indians a short-lived 5-3 lead. At 4:17 Wallace County used their first time-out. After returning to action, the Lady Wildcats earned two free-throws by 5' 6" senior Sydni Allen, a stick-back basket (and-one) by Allen, and a right-wing trey by 5 6" senior Carli Haislip. The action prompted a St. Francis time-out at 2:01, trailing 5-11. St. Francis earned a top-of-the-key trey by Lauren Johnson (assist Reagan Beims) on the next possession. With the addition of a WC free-throw, St. Francis trailed 8-12 at the first quarter break.
St. Francis earned the first basket of the second period, a fast-break basket by Taighe Weeter (assist Hanna Bracelin), but it would be a while before the Lady Indians would take the lead. WC's Perry drained another trey; this one from the right-corner. Bracelin followed with an offensive rebound basket, but Hailey Hennick (5' 11" So.) answered from the post. A free-throw by Karly Bandel and a right-wing jumper by Weeter narrowed the deficit to 15-17, but Hennick followed with another post basket. The deficit increased to five (15-20) with a addition of a free-throw by Hennick. The Lady Wildcats would not score again in the half. St. Francis earned a basket on well-executed press offense by Lindsey Johnson (assist Hannah Zimbal), a left wing jumper by Emiliegh Dinkel, and a steal-two by Weeter. St. Francis took their second lead of the contest 25 seconds before the half expired. St. Francis led 21-20 at halftime.
Lauren Johnson's assist led to a left-wing trey by Taighe Weeter to open the second half. A basket in the lane by Reagan Beims increased the Lady Indians lead to 26-20. WC would respond with a right-wing trey by Perry and a free-throw by Allen narrowing the advantage to two. An offensive rebound score by Hanna Bracelin was answered by a fast-break basket by the Lady Cats. After a basket in the lane by Bracelin, WC earned an out-of-bounds play deuce by Allen. A baseline shot by Haislip gave WC a 30-31 advantage and triggered a St. Francis time-out at 3:37. Emileigh Dinkel scored three of the next four baskets by St. Francis. Dinkel scored on a drive on the first possession after the time-out. WC's Aubrey Kuhlman (5' 7" So.) answered from the post on the next WC possession. Dinkel then added a post basket and Zimbal drew a charge on a driving WC player. Weeter tossed in a right-wing trey (assist Karly Bandel). On the next WC possession, Kuhlman added another post score. Dinkel's third basket of the exchange came from the free-throw area and moved the scoreboard to 39-35. WC answered with an offensive rebound score by Hennick. Jylian Laten added a free-throw and Reagan Beims chipped in a post-basket on an assist by Bracelin. St. Francis had equaled their first-half output in the third quarter. The Lady Indians entered the fourth quarter with a 42-37 advantage.
After free-throw by Karly Bandel, Haislip drained a left-wing trey for the Lady Cats. An exchange of free-throws was followed by a Wallace County time-out a 6:50. On the first St. Francis possession after the time-out, Lauren Johnson nailed a top-of-the-key trey extending the margin to 47-41. A baseline drive by Weeter increased the advantage to eight. At 5:30, an assist by Lindsey Johnson led to a free-throw area jumper by Reagan Beims. Down ten (51-41), Wallace County called time-out to regroup. Lakin Perry scored consecutive baskets on back-to-back possessions by the Lady Wildcats. The action narrowed the margin to 51-45 and St. Francis called time-out with 3:02 to play. St. Francis earned a press-offense basket by Weeter after returning to action. Bracelin added two free-throws after a free-throw by WC. At 1:35, WC called another time-out trailing 55-46. The Lady Indians moved the ball deliberately on offense looking for good shots. Bracelin added a left-wing deuce, Karly Bandel and Weeter each sank back-to-back free-throws to preserve the advantage. Hennick added a final free-throw for the Lady Wildcats in the closing moments. St. Francis earned a trying 61-47 win over Wallace County. St. Francis sank 8 of 12 from the free-throw line in the final period.
St. Francis had two players in double-figures; Taighe Weeter 19 and Hanna Bracelin 15. Others scoring for St. Francis were Emileigh Dinkel 8, Lauren Johnson 6, Reagan Beims 6, Karly Bandel 4, Lindsey Johnson 2, and Jylian Laten 1. The Lady Indians made 11 of 17 from the line, had 17 turnovers, and recorded 15 fouls.
Wallace County was led in scoring by Lakin Perry with 13 and Sydni Allen with 12 points. Carli Haislip added 9 and Hailey Hennick 8. WC gathered 13 fouls, 17 turnovers, and made 9 of 17 from the stripe.
St. Francis will host the first round of the Sub-State Basketball Tournament on Monday evening, February 26. The Lady Indians will play Plainville at 7:00 p.m. (Game time MAY be adjusted earlier if requested by the visiting team.)
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