Lady Broncos earn District wins against NWC, Springdale; fall to Davenport

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Lady Broncos competed in three District Tournament matches, which resulted in two wins and a loss for the team as they move closer to their goal of advancing to the State Tournament.

The team started their week by traveling to West Valley to face Northwest Christian (NWC) on Feb. 7.

Head Coach Gary Kelly said he knew the team would have to start the game with confidence in order to maintain an early lead against the Lady Crusaders.

Kelly said despite the fact they knew what to expect from NWC, he worried about the team’s mental game and nerves being a factor going into the playoffs.

In order to play their level of basketball, Kelly reminded the team of the importance of maintaining a game winning mentality throughout the entire game despite the score.

The Lady Broncos did not disappoint as they began with a strong first quarter. Senior Kallie Harder quickly scored six points for the team, and they took a 10-7 lead at the end of the quarter.

Kelly said Tessa Jantz and Peyton Curtis remain the lead scorers on the team, claiming 17 and 13 points for the Lady Broncos, but the younger players are beginning to step up and take shots to take pressure off the duo.

Due to the team’s offense constantly improving, Kelly said he felt confident rotating in the younger athletes to give them opportunities to score. He said the team impressed him as they brought intensity and precision on the court, and remained ahead of the Lady Crusaders 28-17 at halftime.

As the team started the second half, Kelly said Lacey Miller proved to be relentless on the hardwood, scoring 10 points for the team and claiming three assists and seven rebounds.

With NWC’s athletes having a height advantage over Miller, Kelly said the seven rebounds are impressive and showcase offensive strength.

The Lady Broncos held NWC to 11 points in the third quarter as Curtis and Jantz continued to rack up the score with two point buckets. Kelly said the team’s defense is a solid force, making it difficult for second tier teams to score against them.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Lady Broncos claimed the win: 57-27. The team’s defense proved to be a solid force on the court as only one NWC player scored in double digits.

On Thursday, Feb. 9, the team returned to West Valley to play the Davenport Lady Gorillas.

As one of the top teams in the league, Kelly said the Lady Broncos expected the Lady Gorillas to play an intense game of basketball.

He stated the team began the game strong, being quick to grab rebounds and score as they stayed level in points with Davenport and ended the first quarter 12-12.

In the second quarter, Kelly said the team’s confidence dropped as they started turning the ball over and missing shots.

The Lady Gorillas used it to their advantage and pulled ahead of the Lady Broncos by scoring nine points and holding the team to five.

As the Lady Broncos began falling behind in points, Kelly said they made some critical fundamental mistakes, which allowed Davenport to score and be ahead. The Lady Broncos could not seem to find consistency on offense, he explained.

With only four players from the LRS team scoring throughout the game, Kelly said the Lady Gorillas recognized Jantz as an offensive threat and doubled her, making it difficult for her to have good looks.

He then looked to the defense to challenge Davenport’s lead scorer Sydney Abbott, in an attempt to narrow the scoring gap.

Felicia Ziemer and Tessa O’Brien proved to be powerhouses on defense as they held Abbott to 11 points. For a player who averages 19 points a game, Kelly stated Ziemer and O’Brien showcased strong defense on the court.

Despite their efforts, the Lady Broncos continued to make fundamental errors and missed a key lay-in with 30 seconds left on the clock. They fell to the Lady Gorillas 35-41.

Due to the fact Davenport beat them by over 20 points in a previous game, he said the close score showcases the Lady Broncos can compete with the team.

Basic mental and fundamental errors proved to be the reason for the loss, said Kelly, but he remains confident the team could claim the win against the Lady Gorillas if given another chance.

The Lady Broncos faced Springdale for their final game of the week on Saturday, Feb. 11.

Kelly said because the Lady Chargers have only claimed one victory this season, they went into the game with a substitution plan, in order to give every athlete an opportunity to play.

With the player’s minutes drawn out prior to the game, the team focused on improving fundamentals and continuing to play high intensity basketball.

Kelly said as a coach, it makes him happy when he is able to rotate in the younger athletes and swing players, who work so hard in practice and come to the games ready to play. The team started the game confident, and held the Lady Chargers to seven points.

As Kelly continued to rotate players, the Lady Broncos played as a solid force, scoring 20 points in the first quarter. Curtis led the team with 18 points by the end of the game, but consistently looked for the pass to give the younger athletes an opportunity to score.

The team impressed Kelly as they maintained a fast tempo during the game and every player contributed to the victory on the court, he explained. Miller used her advanced shooting abilities to put 14 points on the board for the Lady Broncos.

Jantz had nine, and Ziemer and Ellie Gering each claimed three. O’Brien and Abby Gering also had two points each.

The Lady Chargers continued to push back as they held the Lady Broncos to five points in the second quarter. Kelly said the younger athletes challenged Springdale’s offense, but made some fundamental mistakes, turning the ball over to their opponent.

Despite the minor errors, he said the team had good looks, which allowed them to remain ahead of the Lady Chargers in the second half.

Overall, Kelly said the game displayed an outstanding team effort as they walked away with the 53-41 win. The team maintained a game winning mentality and played quality basketball until the final buzzer sounded.

The team will face Asotin on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 6:30 p.m. at West Valley for the next game in the District Tournament. Kelly said the Lady Broncos have a size advantage over Asotin on the inside, but he expects them to take a lot of shots as seen in previous games.

He remains confident Jantz and Harder will use the height advantage to rack up points and maintain the lead. If Asotin decides to double-team the duo, Kelly said they will use their advanced shooting skills to score from the outside.

The Lady Broncos will focus on strengthening their defense skills in preparation for the Asotin’s offensive attack.

Kelly said O’Brien and Ziemer’s aggression and intensity on the court should be able to hold Asotin’s shooters and challenge them at the hoop.

The outcome of the match will determine the team’s future in the District Tournament. As a double elimination tournament, a loss will knock the Lady Broncos out of Districts.