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Losing streak hits four for THS girls

By Justin Nutter - | Feb 18, 2014

KVL standings

Justin Nutter

Sarah Ahart and the Tonganoxie High girls have lost their last four games.

Team, KVL, Overall

Piper, 9-0, 14-2

Basehor-Linwood, 7-2, 11-4

Bonner Springs, 7-2, 11-4

Mill Valley, 6-3, 10-6

Lansing, 4-5, 7-8

Tonganoxie, 2-7, 5-10

Bishop Ward, 1-8, 4-11

Turner, 0-9, 1-14

The Chieftain girls found themselves in close games last week against two of the top teams in the league, but couldn’t find any late offense in back-to-back losses at home.

THS dropped a 47-37 game Tuesday against BLHS, then fell to Piper on Friday, 46-39. The Chieftains were within two possessions at least once in the fourth quarter of both games.

Tonganoxie (5-10, 2-7) battled the Pirates (14-2, 9-0) to a 25-25 tie at halftime, and the score remained even midway through the third quarter, but back-to-back buckets by the Pirates gave them the first two-possession lead by either team, 33-29. They added one more shot before the end of the quarter for a six-point advantage.

The deficit grew to eight with 5:05 left in the fourth. THS scored five of the next seven to make it 41-36, but that’s as close as it got.

“We’re just going to have to have a little success late,” coach Randy Kraft said. “We tend to get a little tight and miss a few free throws.”

Kraft’s squad, which has struggled at the free throw line for most of the season, went 9-of-21 in the loss.

Kara Banks led the Chieftains with 13 points, while Emily Soetaert added 11.

Unlike in the Piper game, THS found itself down by double digits at halftime against Basehor-Linwood. The Bobcats (11-4, 7-2) entered the third quarter with a 28-16 lead and only allowed the Chieftains to cut the deficit to 10 by the end of the period.

A 11-2 THS surge made it 38-37 Bobcats with 3:21 left in the fourth, but the Chieftains failed to score again. BLHS took advantage, scoring the game’s final nine points from the free throw line.

Free throws were a big factor in Tuesday’s loss as well, as THS went just 9-of-23.

“We missed enough of them, and that’s big that (BLHS) step up and hit them like that,” Kraft said.

Banks again led the THS with 11 points. She was the only Chieftain to reach double figures.

The Chieftains will get a chance to right the ship Tuesday against a Turner team they defeated by 38 points on Jan. 17. They’ll host Lansing on Thursday, then hit the road Friday to try to complete the season sweep of Bishop Ward. They beat the Cyclones on Jan. 7, 53-31.

BLHS 47, TONGANOXIE 37

Score by quarters

Basehor-Linwood 11 17 8 11 — 47

Tonganoxie 5 11 10 11 — 37

Individual scoring

BASEHOR-LINWOOD — Madison McDowell 4-7 6-10 15, Victoria Smith 3-9 3-6 9, Amber Garver 1-4 4-4 7, Alex Gorman 1-3 2-2 5, Ryann Smith 1-1 2-2 4, Marriah Clayton 1-4 1-2 3, Jenna Mussett 1-1 0-0 2, Courtney Payne 1-3 0-0 2.

TONGANOXIE — Kara Banks 2-7 7-10 11, Katelyn Waldeier 4-6 0-3 8, Tressa Walker 3-7 0-0 8, Sarah Ahart 2-3 2-4 6, Emily Soetaert 2-9 0-6 4.

PIPER 46, TONGANOXIE 39

Score by quarters

Piper 15 10 10 11 — 46

Tonganoxie 15 10 4 10 — 39

Individual scoring

PIPER — Megan Woolley 5-11 4-4 14, Haley White 4-12 0-0 9, Jessica Wayne 4-8 0-2 8, Tori Webb 4-10 0-3 8, Jordan Wagner 3-5 0-0 6, Lexsi Owens 0-1 1-3 1.

TONGANOXIE — Kara Banks 6-9 1-3 13, Emily Soetaert 2-10 6-9 11, Sarah Ahart 2-4 1-5 5, Katelyn Waldeier 2-7 1-4 5, Tressa Walker 1-8 0-0 3, Cheyenne Ford 1-3 0-0 2.