Lady Jays Make History With First-Ever Mid-States Title
Lady Jays Make History With First-Ever Mid-States Title
by Brenna Collison
The varsity Lady Jays traveled to Northeast Community College for the Mid-State Conference Tournament this past week, taking on Wayne and Hartington Cedar Catholic. The Lady Jays then took on the Crofton Warriors in the championship game on Saturday, February 3, to take the conference title with a score of 45-41.
The Lady Jays set the tone in the first quarter, scoring 14 and holding the Warriors to four. Starting off the game was Sidney Zimmerer with two free throws, followed by Maggie Brahmer with two two-point shots, Brenna Collison with a two-point shot, Carly Sutherland with two free throws, Brahmer with a free throw, and Kayla Simmons with a two-point shot.
During the second quarter, the Lady Jays lost their momentum, scoring nine and allowing the Warriors to score 19. Scoring in this quarter were Brahmer with three two-point shots, Sutherland with a free throw, and Zimmerer with a two-point shot. Going into halftime, the score was 23-23.
Coming out of halftime, the Lady Jays picked up the pace, scoring ten and holding the Warriors to eight. Starting off the half was Sutherland with a two-point shot, followed by Brahmer with two-point shot, and Sutherland with two more two-point shots, and Simmons ending the quarter with a three.
During the fourth quarter, the Lady Jays were not backing down, scoring 12 and holding the Warriors to ten. Scoring in this quarter were Zimmerer with a three-point shot, Sutherland with a two-point shot, and Brahmer with a free throw. Sutherland then hit another two-point shot, followed by Brahmer with a basket of her own, and Zimmerer finishing the game with two free throws. The Lady Jays took the first Pierce girls’ basketball Mid-State title with a score of 45-41.
Leading the Lady Jays in scoring was Brahmer with 16 points, followed by Sutherland with 13 and Zimmerer with nine. Brahmer had 13 rebounds, and Sutherland had six. Brahmer led with four assists, followed by Sutherland with three, Simmons with two, and Brianna Aguilera with one. Sutherland had a steal, and Brahmer had one block.
“I thought our defense was key. We didn’t let them run us over, and we handled their offense well,” said coach Darren Sindelar. “I also thought handling Crofton’s full-court pressure early was a key component. They use their press to get easy transition baskets, and I wanted to make the game a half-court game.”
The Lady Jays’ next game will be Thursday, February 8, at home against Guardian Angels Central Catholic. This will also be girls’ basketball and the cheer parent’s night.
Varsity Lady Jays Soar Over HCC Trojans
by Rose Graham
In the second round of conference tournament play, the varsity Lady Jays went head-to-head with Hartington Cedar Catholic on Thursday, February 1. The Lady Jays defeated the Trojans 44-28, advancing them to the championship on Saturday, February 3.
The Lady Jays started off strong in the first quarter, scoring ten and holding the Trojans to eight. Scoring first for the Lady Jays was Brenna Collison with a two-pointer. Collison scored again with a free throw and another basket. Maggie Brahmer then hit another two points for the Lady Jays. Sidney Zimmerer finished the quarter with a three pointer.
In the second quarter, the Lady Jays were able to put up 12 to the Trojans’ 13. Carly Sutherland made her way to the basket for the Lady Jays, scoring two points. Brahmer executed her shots well, making three buckets in the quarter, and Zimmerer hit another-three pointer for the Lady Jays.
The Lady Jays executed their defense well in the third, holding the Trojans to only five points and putting up 13. Collison made her way to the basket with a two-pointer, and Sutherland drove in another two-pointer. Zimmerer put away two more three-pointers, and Collison sank a two-pointer. Brahmer topped off the scoring at the line for the Lady Jays adding a free throw.
Holding the Trojans in the fourth quarter to just three points, the Lady Jays sealed their victory by scoring ten. Sutherland helped out the Lady Jays by making six free throws and a two-pointer, and Brianna Aguilera shot at the line for the Lady Jays and scored two free throws.
Sidney Zimmerer and Carly Sutherland led the team in scoring with 12 points each. Leading the team in rebounds were Maggie Brahmer with 12, Sutherland with seven, and Kayla Simmons with six. Simmons had four assists, along with Zimmerer and Sutherland with two and Brenna Collison and Brahmer with one each. Zimmerer led the team with three steals, Collison had two and Brianna Aguilera and Sutherland each had one. Brahmer had four blocks, and Collison had one.
“Any time you can beat a team that has beaten you earlier in the year, it feels good,” said coach Darren Sindelar. “Hartington is a quality team. The girls should be proud of their efforts, and they need to continue to work hard and improve so we can achieve the goals they have set.”
The Lady Jays went on to the championship Saturday, February 3, against Crofton.
Lady Jays Advance over Blue Devils
by Annie Johnson
The Lady Jays’ basketball team traveled to Northeast Community College to compete in the first round of the Mid-State Conference tournament and took on Wayne on Monday, January 29. The ladies’ strong offense allowed the team to walk away with a 43-35 victory.
In the first quarter, the girls wasted no time getting down to business. Brenna Collison started things off with a two-point shot and was able to draw a foul to gain another point from a free throw. Sidney Zimmerer and Maggie Brahmer also drove their way to the hoop and put up two points each. Carly Sutherland followed up with a free throw and a two-point shot to advance the girls’ lead over Wayne. Kayla Simmons brought the quarter to a close with a three-pointer and a score of 13-5.
In the second, momentum slowed as the Blue Devils’ offense came back scoring 11 points. However, a two-point shot from Sutherland and a three-pointer from Zimmerer allowed the girls to keep the lead going into the half with a score of 18-16.
Coming off the half, Pierce was held to eight points as Wayne’s offense strengthened to take the lead. Zimmerer hit another shot from behind the arc, followed by Brianna Aguilera finding her way to the inside. Brahmer contributed another two points, and Collison put up a point from a free throw. The score at the end of the third was 26-29.
The fourth quarter was the strongest for the Lady Jays, scoring a total of 17 points. Simmons started the offensive stride for the girls, followed by Sutherland going six for eight in free throws throughout the fourth as well as another shot from the inside. Aguilera contributed three more points for the ladies as she went to the line twice in the fourth quarter. Brahmer ended the game on free throw shots, sinking both. The team’s defense held Wayne to six points, allowing the girls to walk away with the 43-35 win.
Individually, Sutherland led the team with 13 points, followed by Zimmerer and Brahmer with eight points each. Brahmer and Sutherland led in rebounds with nine each, followed by Zimmerer with a total of five. Sutherland had three steals, and Kenzie Moeller, Aguilera, and Zimmerer each had one. Brahmer, Sutherland, and Collison each had one block against Wayne. Simmons and Zimmerer both had two assists.
Head coach Darren Sindelar commented on what factors he felt contributed to the victory, saying, “We communicated throughout the game. We did not let their shooters get open, uncontested looks at the basket. Our bench play was big for us also since we did get into early foul trouble. Players stepped up and handled adversity and found a way to win.”
The Lady Jays’ next game will be held at home against Guardian Angels Central Catholic on Thursday, February 8.
Lady Jays Fall to GACC
by Brenna Collison
The Lady Jays fell to Guardian Angels CC at home after a hard fought battle with an ending score of 35-42.
The Lady Jays set the tone in the first quarter, scoring 11 and holding GACC to seven. Starting off the game was Maggie Brahmer with a two-point shot, followed by Brenna Collison with a two-point shot, and Brahmer with another bucket. Adding to that was Sutherland with a basket from inside and three free throws.
During the second quarter, the Lady Jays scored ten but allowed GACC to score 12. Scoring in this quarter were Sutherland with a three-point shot and two free throws, Sidney Zimmerer with a three-point shot, and Sutherland again with a two-point shot. Going into halftime, the score was 21-19.
Coming out of halftime, the Lady Jays lost their momentum, scoring six and allowing GACC to score 15. Scoring in this quarter were Kayla Simmons with a free throw, and Sutherland with a two-point shot and a three-pointer.
During the fourth quarter, the Lady Jays picked up the momentum slightly, matching GACC for eight points. Scoring in this quarter were Simmons with a two-point shot, Sutherland with a two-point shot, Brahmer with a two-point shot, and ending the game was Sutherland with another bucket. The Lady Jays were defeated by GACC 35-42.
Individually, leading the team in points was Sutherland with 19, followed by Brahmer with six. Leading in rebounds was Brahmer with 13, followed by Sutherland with five. Leading in steals was Brahmer with four, followed by Collison with three. Leading in assists was Zimmerer with four, followed by Simmons with two. Leading in blocks was Brahmer with six.
“At times we played alright, at times we did not,” coach Darren Sindelar said. “We attacked and did a good job. We weren't very aggressive at times and let them take the ball from us.”
The Lady Jays’ next games will be played in subdistricts, which begin on Tuesday, February 13.
JV Lady Jays Edge Out GACC
by Annie Johnson
With the help of both strong offense and defense, the JV Lady Jay basketball team got the win over the Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays during a home game on Thursday, February 8.
In the first quarter, the Lady Jays scored a total of nine points, as did their opponents. Brianna Aguilera scored five points, including a three-point shot. Kenzie Moeller drove her way to the basket and scored a total of four points for the Lady Jays. Pierce’s defense kept the GACC Bluejays from taking the lead, tying with them at the end of the first with a score of 9-9.
In the second quarter, the teams went back and forth trying to take the lead. Abbey Fuerhoff contributed two points, as did Rhayna Waldner who managed to put up another shot for the ladies. Abigail Meier added three points to the scoreboard with a free throw and a shot from underneath. Faith Lubischer put up six points with two three-pointers against GACC. The teams went into the half tied 22-22.
Coming off the half, momentum picked up for the home team as their 11 points allowed them to take the lead. Aguilera contributed one point from free throws, followed by Lubischer with two points. Marie Stone led the team in scoring for the third quarter with a total of eight points, including a free throw and three-pointer. Pierce’s defense held GACC to four points, ending the quarter with a score of 33-26.
In the final quarter, Moeller’s two-point shot on the inside and Lubischer’s three-pointer kept the girls in the lead, allowing them to walk away with the win. Despite GACC scoring seven points, the home team ended the game with a one-point lead and a final score of 38-37.
This was the JV Lady Jays’ final game of the season. The JV team ended their season with a 7-8 record.
Freshman Lady Jays Bring Home 2nd Place
by Brenna Collison
The freshman Lady Jays traveled to Wayne on Saturday, February 10, to take on South Sioux City and Wayne in a tournament. The Lady Jays brought home 2nd place.
The Lady Jays first played the South Sioux City Cardinals. The Lady Jays fell to the Cardinals with an ending score of 28-43. Scoring in this game were Mikala Stone with a two-point shot; Abler with a two-point shot and a free throw; Meier with two two-point shots; Moeller with a three-point shot, three two-point shots, and four free throws; and Lubischer with a two-point shot and four free-throws. The Lady Jays were defeated by the Cardinals 28-43.
The Lady Jays then played Wayne and won with an ending score of 33-21. Scoring in the first half were Abigail Meier with a two-point shot and a free throw, Kenzie Moeller with three two-point shots, and Faith Lubischer with a two-point shot, and Hailey Abler with a two-point shot. Going into halftime, the score was 13-10.
Coming out of halftime, the Lady Jays picked up the pace, scoring 20 and holding the Blue Devils to 11. Scoring in this half were Meier with a two-point shot; Moeller with a three-pointer, two-point shot, and a free throw; and Lubischer with three three-point shots, a two-point shot, and a free throw. Taking the win, the Lady Jays ended with a score of 33-21.
“I knew each team was solid coming into the tourney, but we were just as solid,” said coach Amber Engler. “I was proud of how we played against South Sioux City. They just hit a lot of threes in a row, but they came back and played well against Wayne and made adjustments in our man-to-man offense.”
The freshman Lady Jays wrapped up their season with a record of 8-6.
Freshman Lady Jays Fight the Panthers
by Brenna Collison
The freshman Lady Jays took the win from the Norfolk Public Panthers at home on Monday, February 5. The Lady Jays ended the game with a score of 61-27.
Starting off the first quarter with the momentum, the Lady Jays outscored the Panthers 18-10. Scoring in this quarter were Abigail Meier with two two-pointers, Faith Lubischer with a two-point shot and a three-pointer, and Kenzie Moeller with a two-point shot, two three-point shots, and a free throw.
During the second quarter, the Lady Jays kept the momentum going, outscoring the Panthers 12-7. Scoring in this quarter were Mikala Stone with a three-point shot, Meier with two free throws, Moeller with a two-point shot and a three-pointer, and Lubischer with a two-point shot. Going into halftime, the score was 30-17.
Coming out of halftime, the Lady Jays scored 11 and held the Panthers to eight. Scoring in this quarter were Hailey Abler with a two-point shot, Moeller with a two-point shot, and Lubischer with a three-pointer and two two-point shots.
During the fourth quarter, the Lady Jays turned up the heat, scoring 20 points and holding the Panthers to just two. Scoring in this quarter were Stone with two two-point shots, Sarah Miller with a three-point shot, Abler with a two-point shot, Moeller with three two-point shots and two free throws, and Lubischer with a two-point shot and a free throw. The ending score of the game was 61-27.
“We were very aggressive on defense,” said coach Amber Engler, “and were able to execute on offense and got ahead early and stayed ahead and never let down.”
The freshmen Lady Jays’ next games were Saturday, February 10, a tournament played at Wayne. These would be their final games of the season.
