Lady Longhorns fall to Chase County in SPVA Tourney play

The Kimball High Lady Longhorns had a good effort against a good Chase County Lady Longhorn team Monday

evening in first round play of the 2018 SPVA Conference Tournament, but they came up short as the visiting team from Imperial won out 61-39. This advances the winners into semi-final play Thursday (today) against the number one seed, North Platte St. Pats’ team who was awarded a first round bye. Kimball will play for 5th place on Saturday at 11 a.m. Kimball time, with their opponent to be determined in Thursday night play.

That game will take place at the North Platte Community College gymnasium.

Kimball got off to a good start with Justine Heeg converting a 16 foot jumper off the opening tip and Hannah

Biesecker putting the Lady Horns up 4-0 with a good inside move to score. Heeg swished a 3 pointer a short time later to give Kimball 7-2 lead, but that would be their last lead in the opening period, which ended with the visiting Lady Longhorns leading 9-8.

Hannah Biesecker had the hot hand Monday evening and she got the second period underway with a 3-point fielder to put Kimball back on top 11-9, and then nailed yet another trey seconds later to keep Kimball on top 14-11. Megan Spicer stepped to the foul line and made a pair of free throws to keep Kimball in the lead 16-13, but Chase County scored 13 unanswered points to take a 26-16 lead before Hannah Biesecker stopped the run with a 16 footer. Hannah would hit one more 3-pointer before half-time, giving her 3 treys in the second quarter

and 11 points in that time period, but Chase County had surged to a 36-21 lead at the half-time break. They outscored the hosting Kimball club 25-13 in second quarter play.

There was no let down for Coach Chauncey Pedersen’s Kimball girls as they went on a 10 point scoring spree of

their own in the third quarter with Carli Wurdeman burying a 3-pointer, Sydney Biesecker making a pair of free throws and an inside basket and Miss Heeg hitting a trey. Heeg also hit a 15 footer and Wurdeman swished a 15 footer to beat the buzzer and Kimball outscored the visitors 14-11 in the third period, but trailed 47-35 heading into the final 8 minutes of play. Chase County put the game away in the fourth period outscoring Kimball 14-4.

The winners are a talented group and after a slow start to their season, are really coming into their own having won 4 straight games this past week and are now 8-4 record wise. They have some height and good outside play. For the game, they had 4 treys and were 13/19 at the foul line. Lauren Gockley led the winners with 17 points and was 9/10 at the line. Mallie McNair and Alison Owings had 11 each, Sophie Spady 9, Andrea Page 7, and Ragan Nickless 6, with good balanced team scoring.

Kimball’s two seniors stood out with Hannah Biesecker high scorer and with 16 points, going 3/3 at the line and nailing 3 treys. Justine Heeg finished with 11 points and hit 2 treys She also was top rebounder with 8 and led in steals with 3. Carli Wurdeman hit a trey and had 6, Sydney Biesecker had 4 points and Megan Spicer 2. Kimball had 6 treys team wise and was 9/15 from the foul line.

Coach Pedersen said, “We had a better effort tonight and I am more pleased with our effort. Still too many turnovers.”

With the loss, Kimball is now 4-8 on the season. Along with SPVA Tournament play at North Platte on Saturday, they will also be hosting the undefeated and number 2 Class C-1 State-ranked Mitchell Lady Tigers this Tuesday with JV game time at 4 p.m., followed by the varsity game.

Chase County 9 27 11 14—61

Kimball 8 13 14 4—39