Ark Valley News - VCMS girls 3-9 in recent matchups

VCMS girls 3-9 in recent matchups
By The News staff
Last Updated: January 26, 2017

The Valley Center Middle School girls' basketball team played at Andover Central on Jan. 19 and at home against Salina Lakewood on Jan. 23. The "B" teams also played in a tournament at Eisenhower on Jan. 21.

The Hornets will host McPherson Jan. 26 and Derby Jan. 30 before the Pioneer League II tournament, which Valley Center will host beginning Feb. 2.

Eighth "A" — The "A" team lost 37-7 to Andover Central. Emma Anderson led the team with three points in the game. Fantasia Sams and Olivia Niedens also scored.

"Andover Central plays extremely hard and we had a tough time handling that pressure and rebounding," said head coach Laura Jordan. "I am happy with our offensive efforts but we are playing against teams that are more basketball-minded than we are which is why we aren't successful."

The "A" team also lost 21-15 to Salina Lakewood. Anderson was out sick for the game but Olivia Niedens stepped up to lead the team with eight points.

"All the girls played hard and good defense in the first half," said Jordan. "We went into the half tied — which I couldn't have been happier with. In the third quarter, we struggled with rebounding on the defensive end which allowed several more shot opportunities."

Eighth "B" — The "B" team won 35-16 against Andover Central. Lindsey Isham led the team with 11 points. Makayla Hayden had eight and Macy Ostrom had seven.

"Eight B played a great game tonight," said coach Melissa Fehrenbach. "Zoey Taylor led the team with intensity and managed to keep it up through the whole game. Feeding the ball inside and having posts finish strong was a huge reason for our success tonight."

The girls lost 33-19 to Salina Lakewood. Zoey Taylor, Mattie Newman and Macy Ostrom each had four points in the game.

"We got outplayed tonight," said Fehrenbach. "We struggled defensively and we allowed too many second-chance opportunities under the basket. We also struggled with taking care of the ball. It was frustrating because I think this was a game we could have won."

The "B" team took third place in the Jan. 21 tournament at Eisenhower. They lost to Eisenhower 28-25 after beating them by 14 a few games earlier. Isham led the team with 10 points.

"We were down by five at half but we came out strong in the third quarter," said Fehrenbach. "It came down to the last minute of the game and we weren't able to pull off the win. Free throws were a big factor and we ended the game being one for nine from the line."

In the second game, the girls beat Goddard 27-2. Taylor led the team with eight points. Isham and Ostrom had six. Mattie Newman had four and Makayla Hayden had three.

Seventh "A" — The seventh grade "A" team lost to Andover Central 45-23. Halle Brittain led the team with 12 points.

"We came out knowing Andover Central was a good team," said coach Chris Edwards. "We got some good looks outside the three point line that got us back into the game but we couldn't handle their height and speed. This was by far the best team we played and it really showed what we have to work on before league to make us a contender."

The girls also lost to Salina Lakewood 39-19. Brittain again led the team with 12 points.

"We've had a tough couple of games and it's not looking like it's going to get any easier," said Edwards. "We need to push our limits and play harder and smarter than we have up to this point."

Seventh "B" — The "B" team lost to Andover Central 28-16. Alexis Seal led the team with 10 points.

"The girls played hard in the first half," said coach Renae Robertson. "They kept the score close and were only down by one going into halftime. They didn't play as hard in the second half and didn't take open shots when they were available."

The girls lost 35-21 against Salina Lakewood. Annalyn Ricker led the team with three points.

"There were several lead changes throughout the first half," said Robertson. "We were down by one at the start of the third quarter; they started to outplay us and that created a lead we couldn't come back from."

The "B" team also took third at the Eisenhower tournament. They lost to Augusta in the first round 22-14. Alexis Seal led the team with eight points.

"Seven B competed well against Augusta in the first half," said Robertson. "The second half, Augusta started making more shots; ours weren't falling nor did we have great opportunities."

The girls beat Goddard 15-7. Annalyn Ricker led the team with six points.

"The girls were able to shut down Goddard due to strong and aggressive defensive pressure throughout the game," said Robertson. "We didn't take the best shots in the first half but became better disciplined in the second half to secure the win."