Lady Broncos move up in power points

 The Wauneta-Palisade girls’ basketball team improved to 15-6 with wins over Medicine Valley and Sutherland last week.
WP had beaten the Raiders by five at the Cattle Trail Invite in December and the rematch turned into a rough-and-tumble affair in Curtis.
Alexa and Haylee Sandman scored the Broncos’ first nine points in the game. WP trailed 9-10 at the end of the first quarter.
The tide turned in the second quarter. H. Sandman scored early in the quarter, but left the game injured after an intentional foul by the Raiders.
Her teammates picked up the slack. The teams traded points and WP took the lead for good on a Chloe Stehno basket with 1:16 left in the half.
Six points by Stehno and Peyton Cox in the first minute of the third quarter increased the lead to 10 points and WP was up 35-26 to start the fourth quarter.
WP came out hot to start the fourth quarter, as well. Zoey Boos and A. Sandman led a 7-2 run for the Broncos. Three pointers by GraCee Goings and Payton Yearous sealed the 51-39 win.
“I think the thing we did better in the second half was rebounding, a majority of their points in the first half were coming off of second chance opportunities,” WP Head Coach Matt Cox said.
 While the Broncos were more aggressive defensively, Cox said his team also did a nice job of getting the ball inside on offense when the Raiders got into some foul trouble.
A. Sandman scored 17 points to lead the Broncos. P. Cox finished with 9 points and 19 rebounds.
With H. Sandman on the bench Friday against Sutherland, Cox said it was a good opportunity for some kids to step up and be more productive, and the WP guards took that message to heart. The group went to work from the outside and did everything in 3s early.
A. Sandman, Boos, C. Cox and Goings scored WP’s first 15 points by three pointers. WP led 21-9 at the end of the first quarter.
Both teams had offensive success in the second quarter and were scoring right up until the buzzer at halftime. After one last bucket by the Sailors, WP led 42-26 at the half.
C. Cox added three more treys in the third quarter. WP made five of eight free throws over the eight minute span and increased its lead to 58-37.
When it came time to sink or swim in the fourth quarter, the Sailors choose to swim.
Sutherland put 27 points on the board over the game’s final eight minutes and brought fans to the edge of their seats.
Cox said the Sailors applied really good man to man pressure and the Broncos struggled with it. With players starting to get in foul trouble, WP backed off on its pressure, as well.
“Most importantly we did a bad job slowing the ball in transition,” Cox said.
WP’s lead was down to eight points with two minutes left. The Broncos led 68-62 with 26 seconds left and held on for a 69-64 win.
The Broncos made 10 three pointers in the game, C. Cox made five, and Cox was glad to see his team get hot from long range.
“We shot really good from the outside for the first time since before conference week, but I think they knew we had to because of losing some of our scoring threat inside,” Cox said.
C. Cox scored 26 points for the Broncos. Goings also finished in double figures with 12. P. Cox had a 20 rebound night.
Up next
WP traveled to Rawlins County, Kansas Tuesday.
Friday the Broncos will have the home court advantage when they face Maywood/Hayes Center (20-1) for the third time.
“It’ll be a good challenge to play MHC one more time before subs,” Cox said, adding it’ll also be an opportunity to rack some power points going into the post season.
The Broncos are currently ninth in the D2 point standings.
Cox said WP has some adjustments to make defensively from the last time his team played the Wolves Jan. 28, but his Broncos are shooting the ball really well at home and it would be great to send WP’s seniors out with a win in their final home game.
The Broncos will most likely face Medicine Valley Tuesday for their first game of subdistrict. The highest seed in the subdistrict, MHC, is expected to host. Also in the subdistrict is Hitchcock County and Wallace.

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