Lady Broncos have a winning streak leading into the holiday

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Lady Broncos celebrated three victories against Reardan, Tekoa-Rosalia and Asotin. Their victories are due to the team’s strong defense, said Head Coach Gary Kelly.

On Tuesday, Dec. 13, the Lady Broncos hosted Reardan for their first game of the week. Kelly said the game went as expected as the team’s skill level proved to be more advanced than their opponent’s.

The Lady Broncos shut down Reardan’s offensive attacks, not allowing them to score the entire second quarter of the game. Kelly said the team’s aggression and determination made them unstoppable on the court and is an outstanding accomplishment.

Kelly said he felt the team kept the game under control the entire four quarters and maintained the tempo of play against Reardan.

They managed to remain in the lead by showcasing a strong back court and a consistent shooting game.

Peyton Curtis showcased determination and put 26 points on the board for the Lady Broncos. Kelly said he is impressed by Curtis’ shooting abilities and endurance during high-pressure situations.

Tessa Jantz also proved to be a powerhouse on the court and scored 16 points for the team.

Shooting continues to be one of the team’s strongest skills as Tessa O’Brien made seven of her eight free throws throughout the game.

The Lady Broncos shot 71 percent during the game.

By the fourth quarter, Reardan trailed behind the Lady Broncos by 21 points and began to have some foul trouble, allowing the Lady Broncos to add to their lead in free throws.

The team defeated the Lady Indians 59-35. Kelly said the Lady Broncos’ advanced skill against their opponents allowed them to control the game and claim victory.

The team then traveled to Tekoa on Friday, Dec. 16, to face Tekoa-Rosalia. The Lady Broncos proved to be the more elite team as they out-played their opponents the entire game, said Kelly.

Kelly stated the Lady Broncos controlled the tempo of the game by playing strong defense and consistently scoring. They defeated their opponents with a score of 46-39.

Due to the fact it is still early in the season, Kelly said he continues to rotate players in order to give all the athletes opportunities to score.

Kelly has been rotating Felicia Ziemer in as shooting guard in order to showcase her strong shooting abilities, he explained.

Kelly said he wants to work on helping Ziemer recognize key shooting opportunities during high-pressure situations. After some improvement in her ability to read the game, Kelly said he expects her to be averaging four to five baskets a game.

Jantz had foul trouble early and only played a little over half of the game, said Kelly. This made for limited rotation for the line up and contributed to the low final score of the game, he explained. Curtis continued to drive the ball to the net and led the team in points with 18.

Kelly said the team stayed one step ahead of their opponents throughout the entire game up until the final couple minutes of the fourth quarter when they began to foul Tekoa-Roslia.

The fouls allowed their opponents to trail closely behind the Lady Broncos, making the score 46-39 and closer than expected, said Kelly.

Jantz’ advanced skills and shooting abilities could have benefitted the team by giving them a more substantial lead, he explained.

On Saturday, Dec. 17, the team hosted the game against Asotin at Gilson Gym.

The Lady Broncos showcased the progress they made in the past week by claiming a third victory against Asotin with a final score of 47-36.

Kelly said the team out-played their opponents by applying full court pressure against Asotin’s weaker 2-3 defense. The team also had a height advantage over their opponents, which made their post high players almost unstoppable, said Kelly.

One of the Lady Broncos’ strongest skills during the game was their ability to drive the ball to the net, he stated. The team seemed to be ruthless against the Lady Panthers as they forced their way through their defenders to score.

The Lady Broncos maintained the lead throughout the entire game and by the fourth quarter, were ahead 35-28. Going into the fourth quarter, Kelly said Asotin became desperate to even the score and began fouling the Lady Broncos in an attempt to throw off their mental game and limit their opportunity to score.

Kelly said he remained impressed with the strong defense the team played and their ability to rebound the ball quickly and retaliate.

After the team seemed to have the game under control, Kelly said he began rotating the players around in order to give them experience in multiple positions. He decided to rotate some of the younger girls into the top positions to allow them opportunities to score.

Kelly said although the team displays confident shooting abilities in practice, he said they need initiative to shoot the ball during games. Curtis and Jantz continued to be the lead scorers with Curtis scoring 18 points for the team and Jantz scoring 12.

He said the team would focus on strengthening their mental game including their confidence in shooting the ball and recognizing opportunities to score. Kelly stated he will continue to rotate the players around to give all the athletes an opportunity to play in games.

By the end of the season, Kelly said he expects the team to showcase their full potential through improvement in their skills and endurance.

The Lady Broncos will host a non-league game against Columbia-Burbank on Tuesday, Dec. 27, at 7:30 p.m.