Lady Longhorns post 3-win week

A good week of basketball for the Kimball High girls as they went 3-0 in this time frame and ran their season record to 8-4.

It started on Tuesday of last week in a home game for the Lady Longhorns hosting D-l Potter-Dix and winning out 52-29. On Friday night at Bridgeport they came out on top 58-46, and at Rushville on Saturday they prevailed 83-57 in a marathon contest that went on forever.

Potter-Dix is a scrappy and talented Class D ball club that is hurting some what from injuries but they came ready to play and jumped out to a 9-8 lead at the quarter break. Freshman Alex Reader came off the bench for Kimball in the second quarter to light a fire hitting back to back treys and a free throw and Kimball out scored the visitors 17-2 in the second period to go up 25-11 by half time and coasted home for the win.

Danika Daum, the tall and talented Kimball junior, had a big night and a big week. She led all scorers in the Potter-Dix game with 29 points going 7/11 at the foul line and hitting a pair of treys. She also pulled 17 rebounds for a double-double had 5 steals, a block and an assist. Reader ended up with 9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists and a block. Madison Biesecker had 7 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Arica McCloud had 5 points and Myriah Tyan 2. Jessica Hanks didn't score but pulled 7 rebounds.

In team stats, Kimball had 41 rebounds, was 13/21 at the line, 17/67 from the field including 5/17 on 3 point tries, had 14 steals, 9 assists and 3 blocked shots, 16 fouls, and 19 turnovers.

Potter-Dix had 34 rebounds, 17 fouls, was 6/21 at the line, 11/55 from the field going 1/10 on 3 pointers. Scoring for the Lady Coyotes were Brooke Glass with 9, Anna McLaughlin 8, Savannah Shaw 5, Dawson Sharman 3, Alexus Rozelle 3, and Audrey Juelfs 1.

Score by quarter

Kimball 8 17 14 13 - 52

Potter-Dix 9 2 8 10 - 29

The win at Bridgeport was a tale of two halves. Kimball trailed 25-13 at half time, but scored 45 second half points as they roared back for the victory. Quote of the week by Kimball coach Chauncey Pedersen as he came from the half time locker room and informed this writer, "Tom, we are in good shape." I would have liked to have heard his half time talk. He said, "I just told the girls we need to take it one shot at a time, one stop at a time, and things will be OK."

Madison Biesecker hit a trey to get the come back started and Hanks and Daum followed with treys and Kimball closed to within 33-30 at the end of the third period. In the final quarter they outs cored the Lady Bulldogs 28-13.

Daum hit her season average of 20 points going 8/10 at the line and nailing a pair of treys. She also pulled 12 rebounds, had 4 assists, and 2 steals. Biesecker with a good game with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 assists. Hanks with 7 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and an assist. Reader with 7 points going 5/6 at the line, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and an assist. McCloud 5 points and 4 rebounds, and Tyan 4 points and 4 rebounds along with 2 steals and an assist.

In team stats, Kimball was 21/31 at the foul line, 16/58 from the field going 5/17 on 3 pointers, had 20 offensive and 17 defensive rebounds, 18 steals, 12 assists, 17 fouls, and 18 turnovers.

Bridgeport had 26 rebounds, 21 fouls, was 8/14 at the line, 18/49 from the field including 2/7 on 3 point tries. Kassidy Kildow led the Lady Bulldogs with 13 points, Olga Aguilar had 9, Cassidy Mitchell 7, Megan Dudden 7, Ashley Weborg 4, Brooklynn Keirn 4, Emily Baxter 4, and Brooke Hardin 2.

Score by quarter

Kimball 7 6 17 28 - 58

Bridgeport 13 12 8 13 - 46

Another slow start for the Kimball ladies at Rushville on Saturday as they were down 13-12 at the quarter break. They already had 8 fouls in this strange contest that had 55 fouls whistled total and Daum and Hanks were sitting with 2 quick fouls each. Kimball out scored the hosts 21 to 15 in the second period to take a 33-28 lead at half time thanks to Biesecker's 11 points and Reader's 7 points.

After another of coach Pedersen's half time talks and game plans, the Lady Longhorns roared into action and put up their highest total of the season in the 83-57 win. This contest went on and on with 55 fouls called and 83 free throws shot. Kimball was 33/43 at the foul line with 29 fouls while the Lady Mustangs were 22/40 at the line with 26 fouls.

Biesecker fouled out with 1:21 to go leading Kimball with 24 points including 4 treys and 9/17 shooting from the field along with 2/2 at the line. She also had 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Daum ended with 20 points going 7/9 at the line with 1 trey and 6/20 shooting from the field plus 9 rebounds and 3 assists. McCloud had 8 points, Tyan 7, Hanks 5 on 5/6 foul shooting along with 6 rebounds, and Dickerson 4 plus 4 rebounds.

Other team stats for Kimball saw them with 41 rebounds including 9 offensive and 32 defensive, 10 assists, 3 steals, 22 of 62 from the field going 6/20 on 3 point attempts, and 16 turnovers.

Gordon Rushville had 34 and 1/15 on 3 point tries and Josie Perez 11 for the rebounds was 17/66 from the field. Hali Sahr had 15, Kenna Campbell 14, and Josie Perez 11 for the Mustangs.

Score by quarter

Kimball 12 2 27 23 - 83

G-R 13 5 8 21 - 57

Commenting on the week, Kimball coach Chauncey Pedersen said, "I am proud of the girls for playing hard and keeping their composure. I think this group can win against anyone we play if they continue to think the game is about one play, one shot, and one stop at a time. Our goal now is to go out and win the SPVA Tournament this week."