Banner County Girls See Improvement Despite Loss

When you are Banner County’s girls basketball coach, you learn to look for silver linings.

Despite being overshadowed by visiting Hyannis 71-19 on Monday night, Brittany Cooper saw evidence of progress in her young and undersized squad.

“Our pace was a lot better,” she observed. “They were aggressive and we matched it.”

Unfortunately for Cooper and her side, the Longhorns were also taller and more experienced. Hyannis center Savanna Jamison took full advantage, scoring 19 points in a torrid first quarter performance and 24 on the night.

“She is tough,” Haleigh White acknowledged.

After falling behind 27-7 in the first period, Banner County corralled the Hyannis attack. Despite a series of turnovers, they also continued running their offense.

“Our heart,” White said when asked what positives she saw in the Wildcats’ performance. “We played to the buzzer.”

Indeed, with less than a minute remaining, Paige Cross forced a turnover and raced down court. The first shot careened off the glass, but Cross nabbed the rebound in open territory.

Faced with an uncontested opportunity, a quiver of uncertainty entered her mind. “I thought ‘just don’t make a fool of yourself,’” she said afterward. “It went in.”

Ashlynne Hanan led the Wildcats with 8 points, hitting their first jumper of the night and an agonizing next to last shot that teetered on the rim before dropping through.

“I didn’t think it was going in,” she laughed.

The sophomore is emerging as a steady presence on the court. And she, too, recognizes a few silver linings in a winless season.

“We need to make better passes,” Hanan admitted. “But I see a lot of improvement.”