Lady Jays Basketball
Lady Jays Compete Against Trojans
By Kiley Bierman
The varsity Lady Jays competed against the Hartington Cedar Catholic Trojans on Friday, January 11, at Hartington Cedar’s home court. The Trojans ended up on top with a score of 39-50.
In the first quarter, Zoe Brendan made a free throw, Maggie Brahmer made two free throws and a two-pointer, and Abigail Meier also made a two-pointer to end the quarter with a 7-9 score after the Lady Jays’ defense allowed the Trojans to outscore them.
In the second quarter, the Lady Jays gained momentum on offense to score 14 points to the Trojans’ 11. Simmons scored two three-pointers, Moeller made one two-pointer, Brenden made two free throws and a two-pointer, and Brahmer made one two-pointer and two free throws to end the half with the Lady Jays narrowly ahead 21-20.
Beginning the second half, the Lady Jays struggled defensively and finished the quarter behind 32-44. Simmons was a strong scorer in the third quarter with three three-pointers. Brahmer was a leading scorer as well with three two-pointers and a free throw. Zoe Brenden also made two free throws.
In the final quarter, the Lady Jays scored seven points while allowing the Trojans to score only six, but the score difference was too great. Brendan made two free throws, and Brahmer made three two-pointers and a free throw for the Lady Jays.
Throughout the game,Simmons had two rebounds and one assist. Kenzie Moeller had one rebound, five assists, and one steal. Brendan had five rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Brianna Aguilera had two rebounds. Brahmer had ten rebounds, one assist, and four steals. Meier had two rebounds and one assist.
Head coach Darren Sindelar said, “Overall, I thought there were times we did some good things, and then at times we were inconsistent. I thought Kayla Simmons shot the ball well from the outside. When we moved the ball, we got the looks we wanted.”
The Lady Jays will take the court again on Saturday, January 19, against Battle Creek at home. On Saturday night, parents’ night will also take place for cheerleaders and girls basketball players.
Lady Jays Soar Over St. Francis Flyers
by Autumn Hanna
A strong fight Thursday night, January 10, at home led Pierce High’s varsity Lady Jays to victory over the Humphrey Saint Francis Flyers with a final score of 57-39.
The team started powerful in the first quarter when Maggie Brahmer won the jump ball for the Lady Jays, then went straight to the basket for a two-point lay up. To follow their start, Kenzie Moeller added a three-pointer to the scoreboard. Brahmer pushed through to make another lay up. To give the Lady Jays another point, and Zoe Brenden made a freethrow. Both teams never seemed to give in and kept it close throughout the first eight minutes. The first quarter ended with the Jay trailing 8-12.
Determined to catch up to the Flyers, Kayla Simmons started off the second quarter with a perfect three-point swish, followed by a two-point shot made by Brahmer. Abbey Fuerhoff made another three to bring them over the Flyers. A back-and-forth battle to see who would come out of the first half in the lead had Brahmer and Brenden both make two more two-pointers. The half ended with a 24-26 score, the Lady Jays only behind by two.
After coming out of the locker room, the ladies seemed ready to take on the rest of the game. Moeller initiated a point flow from the Lady Jays by making a two-pointer. Picking up the ball to bring things back to their side, Brahmer provided two more points. Brahmer also added a free throw to the score. To bring the third quarter to an end, Simmons made yet another three-pointer for the team, bringing the score to 34-29 after the Lady Jays held the Flyers to just three.
The final quarter was the best one of the game for the Lady Jays. Simmons made two points for the team, followed by Brahmer making another two. Moeller then made two free throws for the Lady Jays. The Lady Jays worked hard defensively and repeatedly seemed to have the ball back towards their hoop. Brenden made a layup to add two more points, and Brahmer followed with another layup. After a foul on Brianna Aguilera, she made one of her free throws. Simmons made yet another three-pointer, and Brenden pushed through on offense and threw up a two-point shot. Moeller made another two free throws, bringing the Jays’ score to 53. To bring the game to an end, Simmons made four free throws, adding another four points to the final score, which was 57-39.
The girls’ head coach, Darren Sindelar, made a comment on the teams playing, “Overall, it was our best game for consistency. We still need to get better. Our effort and attitude was good all night.”
The Pierce Lady Jays’ next game will be played at home on Saturday, January 19, against the Battle Creek Bravettes.
Lady Jays Sacrifice Game to Lakeview
by Kailey Marks
Pierce’s varsity girls’ basketball team took on the Lakeview Viqueens Tuesday, January 8. The Lady Jays finished down 32-41.
Starting the game off, senior Maggie Brahmer put in two two-pointers, followed by sophomore Kenzie Moeller. By the end of first, the Lady Jays were down 6-10.
During the second quarter, junior Zoe Brenden scored a two, and Brahmer sunk another two, with senior Kayla Simmons knocking in one of her two free throws. With Lakeview putting up nine, going into the locker room, the Lady Jays were still behind 11-19.
Taking the court after halftime, Brahmer continued her shots with another pair of two-pointers, followed by Moeller with two and also Brenden with two. Moeller then swished a three for Pierce at the end of third. Pierce’s defense held strong and allowed only six points from the Viqueens, so the Lady Jays were catching up 22-25 by the end of the third.
Going into the the final quarter, Simmons was on fire with two three-pointers. Alongside her with points, sophomore Abigail Meier banked a two, followed by Brahmer with a two. Lakeview also caught fire and put up 16 points of their own, leaving the Lady Jays behind 32-41.
Simmons was the lead scorer with ten points in total. Brenden and Moeller led the team in assists with three. Brahmer led with ten rebounds, three blocks and four steals.
Coach Darren Sindelar said, “We had some good shots, but they just didn’t fall.” He also went on to say the Lady Jays need to work on being more consistent, finishing shots on the offensive side, and getting up for more rebounds on the defensive end.
The Lady Jays’ next game is Saturday, January 19, on the Pierce court at 3 p.m. against Battle Creek. During that game, basketball and cheerleading parents night will be held.
JV Lady Jays Conquer Hartington Cedar Catholic
by Cayce Carlson
The JV Lady Jays took on HCC at Hartington on Friday, January 11. The Lady Jays triumphed over the Trojans with a score of 26-23.
During the first quarter, Payten Simmons led the team with five points, one of those points being a free throw. Kennedy Warneke was able to put up two points, and Mikala Stone was also able to add two points to the score. Also able to contribute was Faith Lubischer with two points. The Lady Jays were able to hold the Trojans to only four points, resulting in an 11-4 score after one.
The second quarter, the Lady Jays were not as efficient. They scored four points on free throws. Brynnlee Marks was able to make two, and Stone was also able to make two. The Lady Jays were unable to keep up with the Trojans, letting them score 11 points. Going into the halftime, the score was tied 15-15.
Coming out of halftime, the Lady Jays were able to put more points on the scoreboard. Abigail Meier put up two points. Simmons also put up two points, and Stone was able to get a three-pointer. Alexus Sindelar was able to get four points by free throws. This quarter, the Lady Jays were able to come back and hold the Trojans to only four points. Heading into the last quarter, the Lady Jays took the lead 26-19.
During the fourth quarter, the Lady Jays were not able to find a way to score. However, they were able to hold HCC to another four points. The final score ended in a Lady Jay victory of 26-23.
Coach Amber Henderson said, “They played hard and showed hustle at times and executed some plays.”
The next JV Lady Jays’ basketball game will be Saturday, January 19, at home against Battle Creek.
JV Lady Jays Defeat Flyers
by MacKenzie Peters
Pierce High’s junior varsity girls competed against Humphrey St. Francis Thursday, January 10, at home. After a close battle, the girls defeated the Flyers with a final score of 32-27.
Beginning in the first quarter, Payten Simmons scored two two-point shots, and Abigail Meier scored one two-point shot. The quarter concluded with Callie Arnold hitting a lay-up with less than 30 seconds on the clock. Despite the Lady Jays’ quick thinking, they were not able to get ahead of the Flyers’ ten points. In the end, the Flyers were able to hold a slight lead, ending with a score of 8-10 entering the second quarter.
The second quarter started slow, but the Lady Jays were able to get a few more points on the board before halftime. During this time, Mikala Stone scored two points for the Lady Jays. Payten Simmons also scored two two-points for the team. This is compared to the Flyers’ six points that were scored in the quarter. With little time left in the half, Simmons received an assist from Stone, which tied up the game 16-16, as they headed into the second half.
In the third quarter of the game, Faith Lubischer was the Lady Jays’ only scorer. After being fouled, Lubischer made one of two free-throws, scoring one point for the Lady Jays. Following that, Lubischer scored two three-point shots, getting the Lady Jays seven points in the quarter. This put the Lady Jays ahead of St. Francis, as the Flyers scored themselves six points in the quarter. Entering the final quarter, the Lady Jays were just slightly ahead of the Flyers with a score of 23-22.
During the fourth quarter, Alexus Sindelar scored two two-pointers for the team, along with Mikala Stone scoring a three-pointer. Later in the quarter, Stone was also fouled, which scored two more points for the team as she made both of her free-throws. This effort was just enough to lead the Flyers, who scored five points in the quarter. At the end of the fourth quarter, the Lady Jays led the Flyers with a score of 32-27.
“We have been struggling with some sickness, and I was happy with the way we fought, especially in quarters when we were down some guards,” said coach Amber Henderson. “We haven’t been playing hard lately, and I was happy we were playing with more intensity, despite the adversity.”
The junior varsity Lady Jays will play again next Saturday, January 19, at home, competing against the Battle Creek Bravettes.
JV Lady Jays Battle Viqueens
by Angelica Volquardsen
The JV Lady Jays competed against the Lakeview Viqueens on Tuesday, January 8, at home. The Lady Jays fell short to the Vikings, ending the game down 28-39.
In the first quarter, Faith Lubischer and Kennedy Warneke each made a three-pointer, Mikala Stone and Abigail Meier made a two-pointer, and Lubischer also made one free throw. The Lady Jays outscored the Viqueens and ended the first quarter ahead 11-8.
In the second and third quarters, Warneke was the only scorer for the Lady Jays as the Viqueens pulled ahead. She made a three-pointer and a two pointer in the second quarter and a two-pointer in the third quarter. The Lady Jays struggled to compete with the Viqueens, ending the third quarter down 18-32.
In the final quarter, Gina Wragge made two free throws and a two-pointer, while Payten Simmons made one free throw and a two pointer. Although the Lady Jays held the Viqueens to seven in the fourth quarter, they ended the game behind 28-39.
The JV girls’ next game will be on Saturday, January 19, at Pierce High School. Saturday is also parents’ night.
Lady Jays Sweep the Competition
by Autumn Hanna
The Pierce Lady Jays’ freshman-sophomore team took on two teams in a tournament on Saturday, January 14, at Plainview High School. They came out as the tournament champions after defeating both the West Holt Huskies, beating them 29-27, and the Randolph Cardinals, winning that game as well, 21-18.
The first team the Jays played was the Huskies. In the first quarter, Brynnlee Marks scored a free throw. Also, Payten Simmons scored three free throws, bringing the first quarter score to 4-5, the Lady Jays trailing by one point. During the second quarter, Kennedy Warneke drained a three and a two. Simmons also added a two to the score. After halftime for the Lady Jays and Huskies, Gina Wragge made a three-pointer. Alexus Sindelar put in one free throw. Finally, Samantha Fisher put up another two. In the final quarter, Wragge scored a two, and Warneke made three-pointer as well as a free throw. Sindelar made another free throw for the Lady Jays. Simmons threw up five free throws for the girls, which ended up being crucial to their narrow 29-27 victory.
In the second game of the day, the Lady Jays played the Randolph Cardinals. To start off the first quarter, Warneke put in a two-pointer, and Makinzie Parsons added another two-pointer. Simmons made two more free throws for the scoreboard. In the second quarter, Warneke shot a two-pointer and a free throw. In the next half, Callie Arnold made a two-point lay up, and Warneke and Fisher each made a two-pointer each as well. Marks finished off the third quarter by making three free throws. In the last quarter, Arnold made yet another two pointer. And to end the game, Warneke made a free throw. This reeled in another win for the Lady Jays, 21-18.
The next game played by these ladies will be against Norfolk Catholic Monday, January 21, at the Pierce auditorium.
Freshman Lady Jays Battle Crofton
by Rose Graham
The freshman girls’ basketball team competed against Crofton on Monday, January 7, at home. The Lady Jays fell to Crofton 28-48.
Scoring for the Lady Jays in the first quarter was Graison Pfeiffer with a two pointer. With the Lady Jays struggling to protect their basket, the Warriors took the lead 2-13 ending the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Kennedy Warneke scored two two-pointers and one three-pointer for the Lady Jays, and Makinzie Parsons scored a free throw. Pfeiffer and Payten Simmons both scored one two pointer. The Lady Jays still struggled to gain control over Crofton’s offense and went into the halftime break down 14-30.
Coming out of halftime, the Lady Jays once again struggled on offense. Scoring for the Lady Jays in the third quarter were Simmons with a two-pointer and Pfeiffer with a free throw. The Lady Jays still trailed the Warriors 17-41 ending the third quarter.
In the final quarter, the Lady Jays had their strongest quarter of the game on both offense and defense. Gina Wragge scored two free throws, Simmons scored three two-pointers for the Lady Jays, and Warneke scored a three-pointer. The defense held the Warriors to just seven points, but Crofton’s lead was too much to overcome, and the Lady Jays fell to the Warriors 28-48. “Even though the girls were down throughout the entire game, they didn't give up and quit,” said freshman coach Alexis Dixon. “I also was happy with girls taking chances, and they weren't afraid to drive to the hoop or shoot.”
The freshman girls’ next game is Monday, January 21, at home against Norfolk Catholic.
JH Lady Jays Soar Over Pirates
by Kailey Marks
The junior high girls’ basketball team played against the Plainview Pirates on Monday, January 7. The A team won over Plainview 21-4, and the B team also won 25-1.
Starting with the A team, in the first quarter, Raegan Thiesen and Morgan Moeller both racked up a total four points for Pierce, with Addison Sporleder scoring a two-pointer and Ella Gaes with two free throws. Looking at the defensive side, the Pirates got a total of two points. So, ending the first quarter, the score had the Lady Jays in the lead 12-2. The second quarter was a battle, but no points were gained by either team. During the third quarter, Theisen nicked in a total four points, with Alyssa Cederburg scoring one of her two free throws. For Plainview, they scored two points before going into the last quarter. At the end of the third quarter, Lady Jays were up 17-4. The final quarter of the game included Sporleder knocking in a two and Isabella Skrdla scoring a two. To end the A game, the score was for the Lady Jays was 21-4.
For the B team, to start off the first quarter, Angeline Skrdla and Garcia both sank a total of four points for the team, with no points from the opposing team. In the second quarter, Madelyn Hanson was the leading scorer with three two-pointers, along with Garcia nicking in one of the two free throws. With the opposing team scoring one of their two free throws, the second quarter ended with Pierce up 15-1. During the third quarter, Garcia nailed a total of four shots, with no responding shots by Plainview. In the last quarter, Hanson scored a two, followed by I. Skrdla and Garcia with two points each. At the end of the B game, the Lady Jays sealed the victory, 25-1.
Coach Brenda Fleecs said, “It was nice to see a lot of different kids contribute to the score.”
The junior high girls’ next game is on Thursday, January 17, against Hartington CC on the Pierce court.
