League Champs!
Girls Split Games With Lady Jackrabbits
The St. Francis Lady Indians and the Greeley County Lady Jackrabbits split their games in Tribune on Friday, February 15. The Lady Indians won the varsity contest in a come-from-behind performance 41-36. The junior varsity Lady Indians lost a close battle 17-19.
The victory over the Lady Jackrabbits placed the Lady Indians in a three-way tie for the regular season Northwest Kansas League Championship. St. Francis, Hoxie, and Rawlins County all finished the season with 6-1 records. The NWKL championship is the second in Lady Indians' basketball history. The first occurred in 1979. Congratulations to the Lady Indians and coaches for the first NWKL championship in 40 years!
In varsity action, the teams battled evenly throughout the contest. Greeley County's largest lead was 6; the Lady Indians largest lead was 5. Fortunately, the Lady Indians were ahead when the final horn sounded. There were seven lead changes and four ties during the game. Both teams had difficulty scoring due to low shooting percentages and many turnovers. Greeley County's Mattie Brandl (Jr.) scored the first basket of the game on a strong cut to the goal. On the ensuing St. Francis possession, Emma Johnson sank a left-wing trey on an assist from Karly Bandel. Lauren Johnson's left-wing trey moved the score to 6-2 and caused a Greeley County (GC) time-out at 5:37. GC's Kamryn Youmans (Jr.) soon banked in a deuce from the left wing. Youmans' next score, in transition, tied the contest at 4:10. A free-throw by Alonda Gomez, a stick-back basket by McKenna Poling, and a reverse lay-up by Gomez gave the Lady Indians a five-point advantage, 11-6. Greeley County scored the final four points of the first period; a left-wing trey by Youmans and a free-throw by Grace Whitman (Fr.). St. Francis led 11-10 after one period of action.
An assist from Lindsey Johnson to Hannah Zimbal on an out-of-bounds play started the second quarter scoring. On the next St. Francis possession, a turnover led to a lay-up for Lauren Crotinger (Jr.). The two baskets were the only scores in the first four minutes of the second half. At 4:11 St. Francis called time-out for strategy. A free-throw by Jordyn Faulkender moved the score to 14-12. With 2:31 left in the first half, a stick-back basket by Brandl (plus one) earned GC the lead (14-15). Another Brandl free-throw a bit later increased the lead. Hannan Zimbal tied the contest at 1:11 with two charity tosses for St. Francis. A free-throw area jumper by Youmans regained the advantage for the Lady Rabbits. With 14.7 seconds left, GC took a time-out. A buzzer-beater left-wing jumper by Alondra Gomez (assist Zimbal) tied the contest at 18-all at the intermission.
Youmans opened the second half with another score for GC. Lindsey Johnson's post basket tied the game at 20-all. Neither team would score again for a while, and at 2:01, St. Francis called time-out. Whitham made 1-of-2 from the line shortly after the time-out, and with 1:35 remaining, a driving score by Hannah Zimbal gave the Lady Indians the lead 22-21. The lead was short-lived as Lauren Crotinger's score in the lane re-assumed the lead for GC. Another lane score; this one by Brandl, was followed by a free-throw by Youmans. The action moved the Lady Jackrabbits' advantage to 22-26 entering the final period.
Emma Johnson added a deep-deuce from the left-wing on an assist from Karly Bandel. Lindsey Johnson followed with a steal and assist on a left-wing trey by Bandel. Again the lead was brief. At 5:59, Brandl swished two free-throws returning the lead to the Lady Rabbits and GC called time-out to discuss strategy. Moments later, Youmans drained a right-wing trey extending the lead to four (27-31). A basket by Bandel preceded a press-offense score by Youmans. At 3:52, St. Francis called time-out. Crotinger's free-throws increased the GC lead to six (29-35). After an exchange of free-throws by Bandel and Youmans, Bandel banked in a trey from the top-of-the-key for the Lady Indians (33-36). It may have been a signal that the Lady Indians shooting woes were about to change. Another St. Francis time-out followed at 2:15. At 2:11, Alondra Gomez drew a charge on Youman's drive increasing the Lady Indians' momentum. With two minutes remaining, an assist by Gomez led to a top-of-the-key trey by Bandel tying the game. GC used another time-out at 1:22. With one minute to go, Bandel's left-corner trey gave St. Francis the lead 39-36. A turnover on the next GC possession proved huge as the Lady Indians scored again on the possession; two free-throws by Emma Johnson. GC used another time-out late in the contest, but would not score again. St. Francis defeated the Greeley County Lady Jackrabbits 41-36.
Kamryn Youmans led the Lady Rabbits in scoring with 16 points. Mattie Brandl added 10. The Lady Jackrabbits made 10 of 17 from the line, had 16 fouls, and committed 28 turnovers.
St. Francis received 15 points from Karly Bandel (all in the final quarter). Hannah Zimbal added 8, Emma Johnson 7, Lauren Johnson 3, Alondra Gomez 3, Lindsey Johnson 2, McKenna Poling 2, and Jordyn Faulkender 1. The Lady Indians made 7 of 16 from the line, had 16 fouls, and committed 23 turnovers (16 in the second half).
In the junior varsity game that preceded the varsity contest, the style of action was similar with two ties and six lead changes in the two-quarter contest. Lauren Crotinger opened the contest with a right-wing deuce. Jordyn Faulkender added a lane basket and a free-throw to give St. Francis a brief lead. A St. Francis turnover soon led to a score by GC's Kallie Knobbe. With the addition of another Knobbe score (right-wing) and a free-throw by Raelynn Welsh, the Lady Jackrabbits led 3-7. After a trey by Alondra Gomez, the Lady Indians called time-out at 1:26. With 30 seconds left in the first quarter, Jordyn Faulkender's post score returned the lead to St. Francis. This lead was also short-lived as a free-throw and offensive rebound basket by Myla Reynolds gave GC an 8-10 lead after one quarter of action.The second and final quarter opened with a transition basket by Crotinger and a right-wing jumper by Mattie Brandl. The Lady Jackrabbits now led 8-15. Jordyn Faulkender soon added a basket finishing press offense. A steal-two by Hannah Zimbal was followed by a free-throw circle jumper by Mia Morrow. At 3:45, an assist from Hannah Zimbal to Lyden Lampe completed a fast-break for the lead (16-15). The 8-point St. Francis run was done, but the Lady Indians now were in the lead. On the next GC possession, the Lady Rabbits added a basket from the wing to retake the advantage. St. Francis called time-out at 3:25 trailing by one. Two Crotinger free-throws were following by a free-throw by Mia Morrow. At 2:03, GC called time-out to prevent a turnover versus the St. Francis press. The teams traded several possessions without a score, and at 27.5, the Lady Indians took a time-out. At 19.5, a SF turnover gave the ball to GC. At 16.1, GC returned the favor, and St. Francis used another time-out. With 4.7 seconds remaining, GC earned a steal and called time-out. St. Francis stole the inbounds pass, but turned the ball over again with 2 seconds remaining. St. Francis lost the junior varsity game to Greeley County 17-19. St. Francis had 15 turnovers in the two-quarter contest; GC had 8.
The Lady Indians will play Northern Valley at 7 p.m. on Monday, February 18, in the opening round of the Regional Tournament.
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