Lady Tigers take down #3 Southeast

Cory Griffith
Posted 3/3/17

The Lusk girls basketball team had a good weekend with a pair of games against two of Wyopreps top three.

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Lady Tigers take down #3 Southeast

Posted

The Lusk girls basketball team had a good weekend with a pair of games against two of Wyopreps top three. While a sweep seemed unlikely, it nearly happened as the Lady Tigers knocked off Southeast and had a lead into the fourth quarter against Pine Bluffs.

Visits to Yoder are always tough and this matchup against the third-ranked Lady Cyclones would be no different. The two traded baskets with four Lady Tigers scoring and SE’s Anderson and Schmitt combining for eight points. After one quarter the game was tied at nine, and remained tied at the half. The telling stat in the 18-18 deadlock was SE All State point guard Emily Buchanan stuck on the bench in foul trouble.

Taylor Gaukel’s triple helped push Lusk to the 29-24 lead after three quarters, before the offenses came alive in the final frenzied eight minutes. Buchanan’s presence on the floor brought SE back but when she fouled out, the inexperience came through as they repeatedly sent NCHS to the line. This may have seemed like a good idea in the first half as the Lady Tigers were just four of nine (with three missed one and one chances), but in the fourth NCHS went 12-17 to close out the 47-39 win.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

NCHS 9 9 11 18  47

SE 9 9 6 15  39

TEAM STATS

NCHS: 15/46 FG, 1/5 3PT, 10/18 FT, 44 REB, 19 PF, 20 TO

SE: 15/46 FG, 0/7 3PT, 9/21 FT, 31 REB, 20 PF, 17 TO

NCHS PLAYER STATS: Scoring- Amanda Smith 13, Gaukel 11, Trisha Hales 9, Miranda Gilkey 8, Ashley Christianson 4. Rebounds- Hales 16, Smith 14, Gaukel 5. Steals- Gaukel 5.

Saturday afternoon the Lady Tigers had defending state champ, top ranked and unbeaten Pine Bluffs against the ropes for the better part of three quarters at Tiger Gym. But as the Lusk girls are finding out- really good teams play all 32 minutes. With the momentum riding from Friday’s win in Yoder, NCHS forced PB into five turnovers and had a 12-8 lead early on. The defensive second quarter saw the Lady Hornets continue to throw the ball away, but Lusk didn’t capitalize on enough. Aside from a Gaukel trey giving Lusk the 17-16 lead, both offenses struggled.

That would change quickly in the second half as Gaukel and Christianson each sank long range bombs, and Gilkey found her touch with an old fashioned three point play. Christianson’s three pointer came at the buzzer as Tiger Gym erupted with a 38-35 lead. Alas, the senior guard power of PB’s Golding, Shelit and Chrystal got PB tied at 41 with just under five minutes to play. Despite Gaukel’s third three pointer (and first career hat trick), the Lady Tigers could get no closer than 51-47 before the visitors escaped with the 55-48 win.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

PB 8 8 19 20  55

NCHS 12 5 21 10  48

TEAM STATS

PB: 20/38 FG, 3/7 3PT, 12/18 FT, 38 REB, 15 PF, 20 TO

NCHS: 17/62 FG, 4/12 3PT, 10/18 FT, 31 REB, 19 PF, 13 TO

NCHS PLAYER STATS: Scoring- Gilkey 16, Gaukel 14, Hales 10, Smith 4, Christianson 3, Mattie Pfister 1. Rebounds- Hales 12, Smith 7, Gaukel 6. Assists- Pfister 5. Steals- Gaukel 5. Good sportsmanship players of the game: Gaukel and Sierra Shelit – Pine Bluffs.

The JV beat Southeast 17-11 in two quarters before falling to the tall PB girls 48-21. The C squad lost to PB in two quarters 14-13.

This Friday the Lady Tigers travel to Glenrock for games at 4:30 and 6 p.m. On Saturday 1A Guernsey-Sunrise visits Tiger Gym with varsity scheduled for 2:30 p.m.