Lady Wildcats split their week

Banner County coach Brittany Cooper said the Lady Wildcats were working on getting back into shape mentally and physically as quickly as possible coming back from break. She added that the team was looking forward to the game against the Hay Springs girls and they expected a good, close game.

They weren't disappointed, as the Lady Wildcats edged out the Hay Springs Lady Hawks 48-47 on Jan. 8 in a non-conference match-up.

"Over the break we worked a lot on defense, shooting, and better passing and decision making, since those are areas that have challenged us in the first part of our season," Cooper added.

Many of the Banner County girls have been working very hard, according to Cooper, who added that they have done a great job of working together and being balanced.

"I'm hoping to raise our intensity level in practices and games," coach Brittany Cooper said.

Cooper also hopes to improve her athletes' mental acuity and composure, giving the Lady Wildcats the confidence to pull out wins in close situations.

Senior Paige Cross led the Lady Wildcats with 19 points to her credit and was named player of the game. Cross hit eight field goals out of 15 attempts and shot 3/6 from the line.

Following Cross in scoring was MaKenna Dahlgrin with 10, Jadyn Cross with seven, and Savannah Jordan with five.

Courtney Knisley added three to the board and Shaylee White and Emily Singleton each added two.

Dahlgrin pulled down 10 rebounds, followed by White with six. Teammates Jordan, Knisley and Paige Cross each grabbed five while Singleton added two.

Turnovers were high, with 29 and the team racked up 22 personal fouls. Cooper said that the Lady Cats could have minimized mistakes with a more controlled offense as well as defense, but overall she was happy with the teamwork.

"We got in some foul trouble and had some minor injuries," she added. "We were really excited to get our second win of the season there. Paige Cross had a great game at Hay Springs, with 19 points, including the go-ahead, game-winning steal and layup with a few seconds left. She played well defensively too, guarding their best player in the second half and not committing any fouls herself. But everyone contributed in that game; girls came off the bench and played good defense, grabbed key rebounds, other got steals, made great passes, and sunk important free throws. All in all, we're playing with great teamwork right now; I want to keep that up throughout the remainder of the season."

Banner County 11 8 13 16 – 48

Hay Springs 8 19 10 10 – 47

The Lady Wildcats followed their win against Hay Springs with a devastating loss at home against the Hemingford Bobcats.

The first points scored, on the Bobcat board, were from the foul line, but the Lady Wildcats restrained themselves and kept personal fouls to fifteen for the game.

Dahlgrin led the battle of the cats with five points and seven rebounds followed by Paige Cross with four points and two rebounds. Jadyn Cross and Savannah Jordan each added two points to the board while Knisley grabbed six rebounds and white pulled down five.

The Lady Wildcats hustled but struggled to control the ball, turnovers were high, with 30.

"I was proud of the way we played against Hemingford, arguably the toughest team we'll face this year. They are very good and fun to watch," Cooper said. "I was particularly proud of the way we handled their defensive pressure, the way we found open teammates and created good shots for ourselves, and the way we held our mental and emotional composure."

Cooper will continue working with the Banner County girls on passing, facing pressure and defense.

Banner County 6 3 4 0 – 13

Hemingford 26 21 17 2 – 66