A valiant Boone Central/Newman Grove girls basketball team, despite being hampered by several injuries, battled hard and long in a pair of losses that closed the 2014-15 regular season this past week.
BC/NG (8-13) is competing in the C1-8 sub-district at Norfolk this week.
The Lady Cardinals traveled to Grand Island Tuesday, Feb. 10, and gave Class B Northwest (10-11) all it could handle before dropping a 52-46 decision.
Despite losing starters Kaity Stuhr and Elissa Slizoski to injuries early in the contest, BC/NG carried a six-point lead into the final four minutes of the game before fading.
“We had the six-point lead with about four minutes to go and I could see our girls slowed things down with the lead and didn’t continue to be aggressive offensively,” Imus continued. “You have to credit Northwest, as they made some tough plays down the stretch and we didn’t.
“Our girls could have folded early with the injuries and the shooting of Northwest, but they continued to battle until the end. For that, I am proud of this team.”
It didn’t get any easier Saturday, as Boone Central/Newman Grove made the long trek to Ainsworth to face the 18-4 C1 Top 10 Bulldogs.
Once again, BC/NG competed hard and well, but a third-quarter scoring drought proved too much to overcome in a 57-47 loss.
Weeder, Dunlap and Destiny Johnson sank three-point field goals in the opening period, as the Cardinals stayed close (12-11), and BC/NG trailed 27-22 at halftime after Ellie Carr rolled in a three-pointer at the buzzer.
The Cards could tally just four points in the third, however, and despite fighting back with a strong 21-point finish in the final stanza, couldn’t make up the deficit, as Ainsworth sank 11 free throws.
“We needed to come out with more energy in the third quarter and we didn’t, which ultimately cost us the game. We battled well in the fourth, but we need to put all four quarters together.”
Further details in Print & Online editions of Albion News
