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Slow Start Again Dooms Cards At State

March 9, 2010

Cara Struebing tries for two
Cara Struebing tries for two
Deja vu.
Ever have that feeling you’ve seen this before? The Boone Central girls basketball team certainly had that oh-so-familair sensation Thursday in the opening round of the 2010 Nebraska Girls State Basketball Tournament.
One year after trailing state tourney foe Bennington 40-18 at halftime of a 59-51 loss, the Lady Cardinals fell in a 15-1 first-quarter hole and were forced to rally from a 26-11 halftime deficit against Lutheran High NE at Lincoln’s Pershing Auditorium.
Despite a strong final 12 minutes by the Cardinals, Lutheran NE scored a 45-34 victory, ending Boone Central’s season in the first round of the C1 state tourney for the second straight year.

Cardinal coaches, players and fans were left stunned by another agonizing state tournament first half, wondering what might have been.
“The first quarter had an abundance of missed shots and turnovers that put us in a big hole - one we could not dig our way out of,” rued Boone Central Coach Mike Kennedy. “We played much better, at times, in the second, third and fourth quarters, but just could not fully overcome that early deficit.
“It could have been a much different game with a better first quarter.”
The period was certainly out of character for this Boone Central team, which suffered seven turnovers (nearly one per minute) and missed at least four lay-ups or point-blank shots.
Much credit has to go to a Lutheran High squad, featuring a strong inside presence, that limited opponents to 34 points per game in 2009-10.
“They did a good job deflecting some passes early. We did get the ball inside at times, and they defended us well, but we also missed some shots we should have made,” Kennedy said. “I thought our guards handled their pressure pretty well, but what it all comes down to, we have to score more than one point in the first quarter.”
In a prelude of problems to come, Boone Central opened Thursday’s contest with a missed shot in the lane and a turnover while Lutheran NE jumped out to a 5-0 lead on a 3-point play by 6-1 center Britney Birtell.

Two more turnovers by Boone Central and another bucket by Sunderman stretched the lead to 12-1 and the Eagles capped their dominant start with junior guard Mallory Weaver nailing a 3-point shot just ahead of the first-quarter buzzer.
Trailing 17-1, BC got its initial field goal of the game on Erica Carder’s 3-pointer with just over five minutes remaining in the first half. The Cardinals made a brief charge over the next two minutes, cutting the deficit to 19-11 on a basket by Jenna Lehmann and another trey by Carder.
Boone Central had a chance to cut further into the Eagle lead, but committed another of its 14 first-half turnovers, and Weaver ended the run with a second 3-point field goal.
Following two more BC miscues and a basket by Wessel, Lutheran beat the buzzer a second time on an 18-foot jumper by Jennifer Meyer and took a 26-11 lead into intermission.

Both teams were sluggish at the outset of the half, with no points scored for nearly four minutes before Gebhardt and Lehmann traded buckets. Field goals by Weaver and Wessel built Lutheran’s lead to 32-13 before junior standout Bobbi Beckwith ignited Boone Central’s first serious run of the contest.
Hounding Weaver with aggressive full-court pressure and finding her stride on the offensive end, Beckwith rained in 3-point shots - one from the left corner, the second from the right wing - around a basket by Lehmann to pull BC within 10 by the end of the third period.
With the large Cardinal contingent of fans in full throat, Beckwith scored on a breakaway lay-up and Cara Struebing dropped in two free throws to cut the deficit to 34-26 with 6:05 remaining in the game.
Boone Central had a chance to pull even closer, but Jaime Kennedy’s 3-point attempt spun out and Wessel followed with a driving basket for Lutheran.
Birtell’s short hook shot gave the Eagles a 40-27 advantage with 2:30 remaining and Beckwith matched that with a driving bucket at the opposite end. Carder cut the lead to single digits again, 41-32, with her third 3-pointer, but Weaver knocked down four free throws in the final minute as Lutheran secured the decision.

Complete Details in Print & Online Editions of Albion News.

Written by jflanagan · Filed Under Sports