By Skip Hunter –

As recounted in another article, the SWC basketball teams ended their week with a trip to Mountain Lake for a girl/boy doubleheader against the Mountain Lake Area Schools/ Comfrey Wolverines. Both MLA/C teams have had some success this year, therefore; the Eagles might have had their work cut out for them. They did. Both teams endured free throw shooting woes, missing 10 charity tosses each, and lackluster play at the beginning of the contest. The Wolverines, probably fired up at the chance of knocking off the top ranked Eagles as well as the cancer fighting activities going on, came out in both games as if they were going to win. The Eagle girls fell behind 8-0 at the game’s outset and 34-19 in the second half. The boys led early but then fell into the doldrums and trailed by 10 near the end of the first half and by 12 with 16:39 left in the game. Both teams righted the ship and went on to win.

Eagle girls survive MLA/C upset attempt

As was recounted above, the Eagles trailed 8-0 before scoring their first bucket. Fey made her only bucket of the game with a trey to break the ice. After MLA/C scored again, Jocelyn Barron, who would spur the Eagles to the win, made a pair of free throws. Ana Veldkamp fed Lindsie Fick for 2 points. The twosome would collaborate again to make the score 12-9.

The home team continued to score, but when Mackenzie Pap, who was in a tight place on the floor, shoveled a pass to Barron, the Eagles cut the lead back to 3. SWC went scoreless for over 6 minutes while the Wolverines put in 10 points. Fick passed to Kierra Binford just before the half ended. The junior scored to make the count 24-13 at the break.

Coach Drooger inserted Barron into the second half starting line-up and the move paid off as the sophomore took a Ma. Pap pass to offset 3 MLA/C points. Veldkamp scored after swiping the ball. The Wolverines picked up a trey, but 2 Fey free throws made the score 30-19 with 15:37 left in the contest. After the home team’s biggest lead of the game, Kinsie Nelson splashed home a triple using a Shaylee Van Essen pass. The Eagles stepped up the defense and held MLA/C down while getting a few buckets themselves.

Van Essen made a strong drive to the hoop for 2 and then drove again, but this time she dished the ball off to Barron for the bucket. Later, Barron cut MLA/C’s lead to single digits with a free throw. On an inbounds play Ma. Pap hit Barron for an easy deuce. SWC cut the lead to 5 with a Fey pass to Makenna Moss for her first bucket of the contest. Nelson drove down the left side of the hoop to make the score 36-33 with 9:18 left in the contest.

(Photos by Joel Alvstad, Cottonwood County Citizen)