Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Kate Reader, right, along with sister Alex (not pictured) have been starters and strong leaders for the Lady Horns this season. Coach Chauncey Pedersen will look to that strong leadership next year as much of his starting lineup graduates this year.
The 2015-16 basketball season for the Kimball High girls will be remembered as exciting with lots of wins and lots of achievements, but also as disappointing! Coach Chauncey Pedersen and his girls, especially the seniors, had some lofty goals, some of which they attained, and some they didn't attain, thanks to end of season injury to standout senior Danika Daum.
It was a year where the Lady Longhorns went up against, and defeated, several state ranked ball clubs. It all started with a 68-63 win over class B and state bound Scottsbluff in an exhibition contest in Scottsbluff. They won over state ranked and state bound Dundy County in the Kimball Invite. They lost to class B Sidney, at Sidney, 52-47 for their first loss. They won over state ranked Mitchell twice and lost to the Lady Tigers twice. They beat state ranked North Platte St. Pats to win the SPVA Conference Tournament in a 54-53 thriller. They wanted a dual conference tournament championship but after winning over Mitchell in the semi finals, they discovered they would play the balance of the season without their 6 foot four-year starter, Danika Daum, who suffered a foot injury in the closing minutes of the win over Mitchell. They lost to Gordon-Rushville in the championship game.
Kimball was 17-3 coming into this contest, and wound up 17-7 as they lost their final 4 games, including losses to Wyoming state ranked Pine Bluffs, state ranked Hemingford, and then again to Mitchell in sub-district tournament play with the Lady Tigers also state bound.
We have now covered the disappointing moments of the season. Let us now feature the highlights. This team was a good shooting team and set a new school mark for team free throw percentage of 68% and also a new school mark of 3-point field goals made in a season of 123.
Lots of individual records and top ten listings as well this season. Danika Daum set a new school record for most points scored in a game at 40 eclipsing the old mark of 38 set by Alisa Mueller in 1996-97. She also hit for 28 twice this season and for 27 twice and 25 one time. Her 362 points this year ranks 5th and remember she missed the final four games and she ended up averaging 18.1 points per game. She probably wasn't going to catch Kayli Rageth's 498 points, unless they advanced into
state tournament play and went the distance, but she would've probably moved up the ladder a couple or three more spots. She now holds the number two spot for points in a career with 1240 with Miss Rageth on top with 1386. Her 73.9% at the free throw line is 7th for a season mark. Her 77 3-point shots made ranks number 5 for a career mark. She did all right rebounding too and her 685 career rebounds is second all time behind Alisa Mueller with 700. Her 21 blocks this season ranks 6th all time. For certain, when Miss Daum went down, Kimball's hopes for a dramatic finish also went down. Danika Daum will be missed but she gave us all wonderful memories in her four years. Now she will turn her full attention to a career of volleyball starting this fall at WNCC in Scottsbluff.
Other seniors also wrote their names into the record books including Arica McCloud who led Kimball this season in free throw percentage of 76.4% making 26 of 34 which is the 5th best percentage in a season ever. Madison Biesecker also moved up into the top grouping with her 64% free throw shooting for the season and her 66 assists is the 6th best ever in a season. These seniors, along with Myriah Tyan and Kailey Dickerson, will be missed greatly.
There are a couple of bright spots returning however by the name of Reader. Sophomore Alex Reader set a new school record of 3-point shots in a season of 55 bettering the old mark of 52 set by Amber Perry in 1998-99. Already with two years to go, she sits number 4 in career 3 point shots made with 82. Danielle Perry holds the top spot with 156. Alex also shot well at the foul line 54 of 74 for 72.9%, the 8th best ever at Kimball High for a season. Twice this season she made 5 three pointers in a game which moves her into a tie with 10 others trailing Hannah Stull, Danielle Perry and Amber Perry with 6 treys in a game.
Freshman Kate Reader will also return and both of the Reader sisters were starters, or part time starters, this season. Kate has more height at 5'10" and can jump. She had 20 blocks this season which is 7th best on the school record list for a season. She had 70 steals this season which puts her in the top listings but down the way quite a bit with Darbi Klinkhammer at the top with 125 in 2011-12. Kate was 52 of 76 at the foul line this year for 64% and all five starters moved up into the listings being kept and that explains why they set a new school record for team free throw shooting percentage this season.
Kimball scored 1360 points this year with Daum high with 362, Kate Reader 268, Alex Reader 265, Biesecker 194, McCloud 167, Tyan 63, Dickerson 19, Shauntae Daily 10, Hannah Biesecker 7, and
Justine Heeg 5. A lot of points graduating. Next year's team will be built around the Reader sisters. Coach Pedersen said everyone will have to work hard during the offseason and this summer to make the Lady Horns competitive. A lot of the opponents Kimball will face next year return everyone and a lot of the opponents are young in their lineups.