Broncos fall to RPAC foes

The new year was not kind to the Wauneta-Palisade girls basketball team. The Broncos returned to action for the first time since Dec. 19 and lost back-to-back games to Hitchcock County and Southwest last week.
WP traveled to Hitchcock County Friday.
Peyton Cox set the tone for the Broncos to start the game. Cox scored seven of WP’s 10 first quarter points.
Trailing 10-13 to start the second quarter, the Broncos continued to struggle to knock down field goals. Cox made WP’s only baskets of the quarter to go with three free throws by her teammates.
Izzy Stehno and Cox each made three pointers in the third quarter. Two point field goals by McKenna Doetker and Cox helped erase the 17-19 halftime deficit and the Broncos took a tied game, 29-29, into the fourth quarter.
While it was WP’s most prolific offensive quarter with four players making field goals, Hitchcock County went wild on the offensive end, as well. The Broncos were outscored 13-22 over the game’s final eight minutes and lost the game 42-51.
WP Head Coach Matt Cox gave Hitchcock County credit for a really good defensive game plan, saying the Broncos struggled to adjust to it.
“We had opportunities to take a good lead multiple times in the game, but we just missed too many baskets in the fourth quarter and we were horrible from the free throw line,” Cox continued.
The Broncos made 10-27 free throws, including 3-10 in the fourth quarter, while Hitchcock County hit 10-22. The Falcons shot 14 fourth quarter free throws and made seven.
Cox led the way for the Broncos with 23 points and 17 rebounds.
Stehno pulled down 10 rebounds.
WP controlled the boards, outrebounding Hitchcock County 46-28.
The Broncos continued to struggle the following night at home against Southwest.
As Cox put it, it was another tough shooting night.
GraCee Goings got the Broncos started with a three pointer, but with three minutes left in the first quarter the game was tied at 3-3. Goings hit 4-4 from the charity stripe as the first quarter wore down to help the Broncos to a 11-7 lead going into the second quarter.
WP’s shooting woes showed up in full force in the second quarter. With only field goals by Emma Acton and Cox, the Broncos’ four-point advantage disappeared and WP trailed 15-20 at halftime.
By halfway through the third quarter, the Broncos had cut their deficit to 22-23. WP tied the game at 27-27 with two minutes to go in the third, but couldn’t get over the hump and take the lead.
The Broncos went to the charity stripe often in the fourth quarter. While WP made three field goals, players shot fourteen free throws and made eight. Free throws by Goings pulled the Broncos to within four points, 38-42, with 2:50 left in the contest.
WP was unable to get closer than four points as Southwest made its final six points from the free throw line to seal the win for the Roughriders.
The Broncos fell to 5-5 on the season with a 42-48 loss.
“We had some chances again in the fourth to gain control of the game and just couldn’t get the ball to go in the hoop,” Cox said.
Cox had a double-double in the game, scoring 18 points and pulling down 17 rebounds.
Goings also scored 18 points.
Stehno finished with 10 rebounds.
For the second night in a row, WP outrebounded its opponent, 40--33.
“The bright spot the last two games has been our man defense. We’re doing an adequate job defensively, we’ve got to find a way to get our scoring going,” Cox said.
    Rounding out a rough week for WP, the Bronco boys team lost its games 30-61 against Hitchcock County and 38-50 against Southwest.
Up next
The Bronco girls will look to move their record above .500 with games against Perkins County and Garden County this week.
WP will host PCS Friday then hit the road for Oshkosh to take on the Eagles Saturday.
On the girls’ side, the Plainsmen are 7-4 and Garden County is 2-7. For the boys, PCS is 8-3 while GC is 5-4.